Destruction (sometimes means rebirth)
by Blood-InTheFields
Summary: There's not much that she can do. The heat, she doesn't feel. She walks through the flames and uses her x-ray vision to spot any survivor, but there's nothing. Only devastation. (Also posted on AO3 with author's notes) C O M P L E T E
1. Chapter 1

Supergirl is flying over National City when it happens.

She hears the explosion.

She hears the screams.

She sees the smoke.

She sees the fire.

She recognizes the building.

She freezes.

Her heart stops in her chest.

* * *

"Supergirl? Supergirl, do you copy?"

Kara finds herself unable to answer.

"You need to rush to L-Corp. There's been an explosion," Alex's voice continues.

But Kara's mind is in overdrive. She knows exactly which floor just went up in flames. She knows it well.

Lena's office.

 _Oh Rao,_ Kara prays, _let her be alive. Let her live._

She's never flown faster.

* * *

There's not much that she can do. The heat, she doesn't feel. She walks through the flames and uses her x-ray vision to spot any survivor, but there's nothing. Only devastation.

The firemen tell her no one could have survived such a blast. They look at her with sorrow in their eyes, as if they know how she feels inside.

They don't.

* * *

"Who was it?"

Alex turns when she hears her sister's voice. She puts both hands up as if to calm her down, but Kara pushes her away and plants herself firmly in front of J'onn.

"Who's behind the attack?"

"We don't know yet," he tells her, impassive as ever.

"Bullshit. You know something. I can tell."

Kara's hands form fists at her sides and she feels like breaking something. Someone. She looks at Alex, whose eyes are set on the ground.

"Alex. Tell me."

Her sister swallows hard and looks up at her.

"Please," Kara whispers, her voice betraying her despair.

"We think it might be Lex. We've yet to verify if our lead checks out."

Kara's jaw clenches.

"It'll check out. It makes sense."

"No, it could be someone else. Lena had a lot of enemies."

" _Has_."

"Kara—"

Kara is in no mood to listen. She exits the room in a blink of the eye.

* * *

 _This isn't happening,_ she tells herself over and over again. _This is not happening._

She flies in circles, unable to decide where to land. No place will offer any solace. She should have seen it coming. She should have known. She should have anticipated that Lex Luthor would strike again.

But she hadn't.

And now…

Now L-Corp is mourning the disappearance of seventeen employees. Blown to pieces. Pulverized out of existence.

And the CEO… the CEO, Kara isn't ready to think about.

* * *

Alex finds her on the couch, sitting numbly, staring at the wall, unblinking. She approaches slowly so as to not startle Kara and sits down beside her. Kara's posture is stiff and it looks like she hasn't moved in hours.

"Kara," Alex tries softly.

"He escaped, didn't he?"

Kara's voice is robotic, emotionless. Cold. Alex fails to suppress a shiver.

"Yes," she says, because there's no point in lying.

"When?"

"Yesterday morning."

"Why are we only hearing about this now?"

Her eyes haven't left the wall. She still hasn't blinked.

"The FBI."

"Does Clark know?"

"I called him, yes. He saw the news. He should be here any minute now."

"I don't want to see him."

"Kara—"

"I don't. Want. To see him," she repeats, her eyes finding Alex's.

"Okay," she sister capitulates, "okay."

Soon after, there is a knock at the door and Kara jumps out of the window and disappears into the night.

* * *

Kal-El should have killed Lex Luthor. That's what she keeps thinking about. Her cousin should have killed the son of a bitch a long time ago. But now…

Now things have changed.

Now this is Kara's mission.

She will find Lex Luthor and she will crush him.

Like he's crushed her.


	2. Chapter 2

Kara doesn't show up for the funeral. Alex tries to convince her to go but she refuses. _What's the point,_ she argues, _if there's nothing to bury?_

It's not like Lena will be mad at her for not going.

Part of her knows this is the denial phase.

* * *

Clark tries to call a few times and she doesn't pick up. She deletes the voicemails. When he finally stops, Kara suspects that it's because Alex ordered him to.

Alex spends most of her nights in Kara's apartment, sometimes in bed with her, sometimes on the couch. Alex tells Maggie the truth about Supergirl's identity because she needs to talk to someone about it. Because Kara knows she feels powerless to ease her pain and it's gnawing at her.

Winn and James don't mention Lena at all. They know better than to bring up her name unless Supergirl is discussing new leads on Lex's whereabouts at the DEO. They stop by her apartment as often as they can, with food. So much food. Kara eats it all.

Mon-El tries his best to cheer her up and he buys her alien alcohol until Alex tells him to stop, because Kara drinks it all and gets hammered too many times and Alex can't deal with an alcoholic sister with superpowers.

Her friends keep trying.

Kara often wants to yell at them to leave her alone. The only friend she wants to see is Lena.

And Lena is gone.

* * *

Kara Danvers, the reporter, is asked to write articles about L-Corp and the aftermath of the attack. She wants to refuse at first, but changes her mind. She doesn't trust anyone but herself to write about Lena's company.

She locks herself in her bedroom and types frenetically on her keyboard, often going beyond the word count Carr asks her to produce. She speaks of Lena Luthor and her ideologies, and how the future of the company she's worked so hard to reform is looking bleak without her at the helm.

Writing helps a little. It helps Kara through the denial phase.

It pushes Supergirl into the anger phase.

* * *

Alex works the leads in National City, goes to every place she can think of where people might know something about Lex Luthor, and gets in touch with Clark daily. She doesn't tell Kara, but Kara guesses. Alex sometimes takes Maggie with her, now that Maggie knows the truth about Supergirl. Her sister's girlfriend looks at her curiously once or twice before Kara's glare is enough of a warning for her to stop.

Supergirl focuses on the leads outside of National City that are not in Metropolis. That is Clark's turf. She tracks down humans and aliens alike, and leaves broken bones and bloody noses behind without remorse. If one of those bastards knows where she can find Lex Luthor; she'll get the answer out of them.

A month goes by and the trail goes cold. The DEO has to keep going and focus on other threats. Alex spends less time working the streets with Maggie, exhausted and frustrated by the lack of credible leads.

Kara doesn't stop. She doesn't sleep more than a few hours per night.

But no one has anything to say about Lex, and Kara's anger only keeps growing.

* * *

She makes a mistake.

She finds a known accomplice of Lex and, when he offers nothing useful, she hits him. She hits him so hard that he is sent flying back and crashes against a wall. Kara hears the disgusting crack of bones and she cringes.

Alex and other DEO agents are hot on her heels and when their van screeches to a halt, they swarm out of it and rush to the man who lies on the ground, unconscious. Alex frowns when she sees the state he's in and she makes her way over to Kara, who stands at a distance.

"What the hell, Kara? You could have killed him!"

Kara has nothing to say for her defense.

"You can't do that, Supergirl. You can't be reckless with your powers. He's human. What happens if word gets out that you killed a human being? People will hate you. They'll turn on you."

"I know," Kara says, her eyes on the man who is now being carried to the van on a stretcher, still out.

Alex wants to say more but decides against it. Instead, she shakes her head and hurries back to the van, where her team is waiting for her.

"Head back to the DEO now," she yells over her shoulder.

Supergirl nods and disappears into the air.

* * *

The man Supergirl punched falls into a coma. The DEO keeps quiet about it and Kara is thankful that none of it leaks to the press and media. She doesn't need the bad publicity. She doesn't feel particularly remorseful; the man was a piece of shit after all.

Alex and J'onn agree to bench her for the time being. Kara doesn't mind. She wants to focus on finding Lex Luthor anyway. The DEO can certainly handle a few rogue aliens on its own. The Guardian and Mon-El will help.

Supergirl's anger subsides after the incident. She needs to be clear-headed if she is to continue her search for the most wanted man in the country. On her way to CatCo, Kara stops in front of L-Corp where the yellow tape on the door has been removed by now. The company has to keep going somehow.

Kara hasn't met the new CEO. She doesn't want to. Carr doesn't ask her to go back there, as if he understands that his youngest reporter can't step foot in there again. Not just yet.

* * *

It's a Saturday afternoon when Kara's world is violently shaken, again. She's walking among the crowd on the busy sidewalks of National City, trying to clear her mind by going grocery shopping. She has the disagreeable sensation of being watched but it's silly, because she's Kara Danvers and no one knows her real identity, and no one has any reason to pay attention to Kara Danvers.

And yet when she stops at a light, waiting to cross the road, the burning sensation intensifies and Kara can't help but look around her. She only sees unfamiliar faces, all around her.

All but one.

Because on her left, far across the road, on another busy sidewalk, Kara's eyes find what they are looking for. She freezes. She blinks.

And just like that, Lena Luthor has vanished.


	3. Chapter 3

"It was her, Alex. I know what I saw."

Alex's gaze remains full of pity. Kara is pacing in front of her, replaying the earlier scene in her mind, over and over.

"Kara… Her office was blown up. No one on that floor could have survived the blast. You know that. I get that it's hard for you to accept, but it's been weeks now."

"You're not listening to me, Alex! I'm telling you she was there. I saw her with my own two eyes."

"For a fraction of second," her sister objects. "How do you know this was not just your mind playing tricks on you?"

"It didn't feel like that."

"How many hours of sleep have you had lately?"

Kara doesn't bother to answer. It's not like Alex doesn't know she hasn't been sleeping well. She stills and looks at her sister.

"You think I hallucinated her."

"I do," Alex admits as she steps closer to Kara.

Tentatively, she puts a hand on her shoulder and squeezes lightly.

"You need to rest, Kara. To make your peace with what happened. We'll find Lex. I promise."

At the mention of the Luthor's name, Kara's body tenses and she shrugs off Alex's hand and crosses the room to stand near the window. Alex sighs, defeated and unable to get through the wall Kara's built up around herself when it comes to anything Luthor-related.

"I need to go back to the DEO. Please get some sleep."

Kara lets her leave without another word.

* * *

That night, Kara lies awake, staring blankly at the ceiling. The events of the day replay in her mind. She sees Lena again, with her black hair partially hidden under the hood of a sweater Kara would have never imagined the CEO wearing. Her eyes, a shade darker than their usual vibrant green. The moment had been fleeting, gone as soon as it had come, but Kara is certain that it was real.

Only, when she'd made her way to where she'd spotted Lena, there was no trace of her. Kara had tried to use her x-ray vision to see through the walls of the buildings around, in vain. She'd tried to focus and listen to every sound in hopes of picking up something, anything that might sound like Lena but nothing had come of it. And yet, Kara knew she hadn't dreamed her.

Hours later, in bed, her opinion remains the same.

 _Lena is out there, somewhere,_ she thinks.

Sleep eludes her that night again.

* * *

Her step feels lighter the following days. She doesn't tell anyone else about Lena, she knows they will react the same way Alex did. They'll think that she's gone crazy, and Kara doesn't want to have to deal with that.

She spends her days at CatCo, working on her new articles that have to be ready for the next issue. She receives an email from Cat Grant that even manages to make her smile.

At night, Supergirl flies over the city, not as an asset to the DEO but as her own person. She looks for Lena in every building, canvassing the city block by block. She sees through walls, sees things she wishes she could forget. National City is big, and Supergirl wishes she could be lucky for once.

Luck, however, has other plans.

* * *

When the man that she hurt comes out of his coma and is cleared to leave, Supergirl is allowed back to the DEO. She doesn't apologize for almost killing him. Alex, with some well-placed threats, makes sure he won't be talking about what happened to him to anyone.

The man hasn't been gone for five minutes when Winn shoots up from his seat.

"Guys," he calls out, "you need to see this."

Kara rushes to his side, followed by Alex and J'onn.

"What are we looking at," J'onn asks.

"The surveillance feed of the prison where Lillian Luthor is held. This was just a few minutes ago."

Sure enough, the woman appears on screen in a room sparsely furnished. Her back to the camera, she leans over a table and appears to be writing something. Kara's heart starts to beat faster in anticipation. Finally, Lillian turns and holds up her piece of paper to the camera.

 _Supergirl._

That's all it says.

But Kara doesn't need more to understand the message. Lillian Luthor is requesting a meeting.

* * *

"You're not going alone," Alex declares, arms crossed.

She stands firmly in front of Kara, who is ready to fly to the penitentiary right away.

"She'll only talk to me; you know that," Kara points out.

"She's going to try to negotiate a deal."

"Lillian wouldn't be asking for me if she didn't have intel about Lex or Lena."

"Lena is—"

" _Don't say it_ ," Kara hisses.

"She'll get under your skin, Supergirl. And after what you did to the man I had to blackmail into silence only a few weeks ago, I'm not letting you go there alone. You'll need someone to reign you in if you lose your temper. She knows you were Lena's friend—"

" _Are_."

"—and she'll try to use that to taunt you. She's not above using Lena to hurt you."

Kara sighs, but she knows Alex is right. Lillian Luthor is evil and she has a plan of her own. Why she's taken so long to reach out is, in itself, a red flag.

"Fine. You're coming with me. But we're not driving there, so you better hold on tight."

Alex rolls her eyes but complies nonetheless. Kara's arms wrap around her sister and a second later, they're gone.


	4. Chapter 4

Kara's never been inside a prison before. She idly wonders if they're all more or less the same, with barbed wires and high walls and watchtowers. If they all look as gloomy inside as they do outside. If the incessant buzz of doors is the same in all of them. The warden personally greets them at the gates and insists to show them to the room where Lillian's waiting.

She glances at her sister, who walks determinedly at her side, head held high and staring straight ahead with resolution in her eyes. Kara, deep down, is grateful for her presence.

The guards all look at her reverently; no doubt impressed by the way she carries herself in her Supergirl outfit. Or perhaps it's the mere fact that they are in the same room as her.

After long minutes of walking and listening to the warden's excited explanations about his prison, they stop in front of a metallic door. Through the small Plexiglas window, Kara's eyes meet Lillian's.

The shark-like smile the Luthor offers does nothing to reassure Kara.

* * *

Alex stands in a corner of the room while Supergirl sits opposite Lillian Luthor. The prisoner is handcuffed to the table between them but she doesn't look any less confident in her orange jumpsuit.

"I only requested Supergirl. Didn't think you'd have a lapdog tag along," she begins as she looks at Alex.

Supergirl's face betrays nothing and she knows Alex doesn't react to the jab either.

"Why am I here," Kara asks.

Lillian takes a few seconds to answer, and Supergirl understands that it's a tactic to give herself the upper-hand. Make her wait to get a rise out of her. She can't let it get to her.

"You are here," Lillian starts, "because I have information that you need, and you have something I want."

"And what is that?"

"You can get me out of here."

It's what they expected, what Alex warned her the Luthor matriarch would want, but Kara's breath gets caught in her throat nonetheless.

"Never," she replies after a second.

Lillian smiles again.

"Well, in that case, I won't help you find my son."

Kara knows, right this moment, that she's lost this battle.

* * *

"No deal," Alex reminds her as soon as they step out of the room. "We said no deal."

"I remember. But if she knows where Lex is hiding… Alex, you know he's the bigger fish here."

"She doesn't know. She won't give up her son; he's not…"

"He's not what?"

Alex looks like she doesn't want to finish her sentence.

"He's not Lena. That's what you wanted to say. She actually loves Lex, so you think she won't give him up," Kara guesses.

"Look, Supergirl, I know that Lena was important to you, but she was the one to send her mother in prison. Nothing this woman says is going to help you find the man who killed her."

 _She's not dead,_ Kara wants to scream.

"I want to talk to her alone," she says instead.

"What? No."

"I'm not asking, Alex."

The two sisters stare at each other for a long minute. Kara can't back down, not on this. If this is her only chance of catching Lex Luthor, of getting answers out of him, she will not allow anyone to blow it. In the end, it's Alex who caves first and she steps aside to let Kara back into the room.

"Don't play her game," she warns one last time.

* * *

"Alone at last," Lillian remarks as soon as the door closes behind Kara.

"You will be out of here if the information you give is good."

"I want that in writing."

"No. You'll have to take my word for it."

Lillian looks at her, unimpressed.

"I may be a murderer, Supergirl, but the people I've killed so far were nothing but criminals."

"They were still human beings. And you're also convicted of attempted murder. On innocent people this time."

"Hardly people," she scoffs. "These are my terms. Get me a deal on paper, give it to my attorney, and I'll tell you all I know about Lex's hideouts."

Kara doesn't have a plan, and it's becoming more obvious to Lillian by the minute. She thinks fast, steels her nerves and says something she doesn't even mean:

"Your son killed your daughter and you're still protecting him."

"My son didn't call the police on me, now, did he?"

"You deserved it. Lena did the right thing, and you know it, as much as you hate it."

Her words are met with silence, because both women know Kara has a point.

"Lena was the one who refused my love. I had plans for her, but she was always the free spirit of the family. She was much more of a wild card than Lex ever was. Always trying so hard to be a Luthor without actually _wanting_ to be one."

There's bitterness in the older woman's tone, and her eyes are unfocused, a sign that she's lost in memories Kara can't understand. She detects a hint of sadness on Lillian's face, but it's gone as soon as it appears.

"I gave her so many opportunities to truly be a part of the family, but she kept pulling away."

"You sent her abroad for years," Kara points out.

"To give her the best education possible," Lillian retorts, defensively. "Lena and Lex were both excellent students with a promising future. Lex followed in his father's footsteps, but Lena… Lena was a _disappointment_."

Kara's hands twitch in her lap but she flattens them on her thighs and reminds herself to not take the bait.

"A disappointment who sent you to prison. I can't imagine how betrayed you must've felt."

Lillian, to Kara's surprise, smirks.

"On the contrary, Supergirl. I don't think I've ever been prouder of her. What Lena did was cold, calculated and definitely well-acted. Exactly what a Luthor would have done. A shame she wasn't on the right side, really."

Kara sees the taunt for what it is and decides to move on.

"Back to Lex. Give me something."

"Get me my deal."

"Not without proof that your leads are credible."

Another staring contest begins after that, and Lillian must realize that Supergirl isn't going to agree to the deal unless she starts talking, because she sighs and sits up in her chair.

"Fine. I'll give you somewhere to begin. But you won't get more out of me unless you get me out of here."

* * *

Kara waits until they're back at the DEO to tell Alex and the rest of the team about the information Lillian gave her.

"Those are coordinates I need you to look up via satellite," she asks Winn as she hands him a piece of paper.

"On it," he replies immediately.

"Lillian said Lex used to spend most of his time there after his falling out with Superman," Kara explains to the others. "This is the first place I'm going to check out."

"You'll take a strike team with you," J'onn orders.

"Uhhh, guys?"

Kara, Alex and J'onn rush to his side.

"The coordinates point to an island eighty miles West of Catalina Island."

"An island?"

"Approximately eleven square miles of forest and sand," Winn adds as he types on his keyboard to show them pictures on the screen.

"There's no way to sneak up on him with a strike team if he's even there," Kara says. "I'll go alone."

"Like hell you will," is Alex's immediate response.

J'onn pinches the bridge of his nose as he senses another argument coming.

"If Lex is on this island, then I'm not risking alerting him by bringing a helicopter."

"If he's there, he might have trapped the whole island to protect himself from Superman, which means those traps would work on you as well."

"I'll be careful, I'm not stupid."

"You might need back-up. I'm not letting you go alone."

"Enough!"

Both sisters startle and turn toward J'onn, who stands tall next to Winn, with his hands on his hips.

"Now, Winn and I are going to work over the logistics, see if there isn't a way for us to reach the island without alerting him. You two, go home and get some rest. I'll call you as soon as we figure it out."

His tone leaves no room for arguments and Alex and Kara glance at each other, then back at him at the same time.

"Fine."

"Call us."

* * *

Kara lets Alex drop her off down her building and she offers to cook for them both, but Alex declines. Maggie is waiting for her at her own apartment and she hasn't had much time alone with her lately. Kara nods and watches as the motorcycle roars back to life and disappears into traffic.

Then she pushes the door to her building and waits patiently for the elevator. She reaches her door and thinks about the ice-cream waiting in the freezer and about how it won't be waiting much longer now.

* * *

Kara isn't sure how long has passed since she opened her tub of chocolate ice-cream and settled against the window to watch the sunset. She's thinking about revenge, and all the ways she's going to make Lex pay.

Her grip on her phone tightens and she catches herself in time before she crushes it into dust. Her phone. There are pictures of her and Lena in there, a few photos Kara had taken while they were out drinking one night. She remembers that night vividly, which is as much a curse as it is a blessing.

She remembers Lena's smile, the spark in her eyes and the sound of her laugh. She would give anything to hear that laugh again, to appreciate Lena's beauty once more.

Kara digs into the ice-cream only to realize that she's already scrapping the bottom of the tub. Pulled out of her reverie, she sighs and is about to get up from where she sits when something catches her attention.

Down below, among the passersby on the sidewalk, a figure stands still, looking up in her direction. The burning sensation on Kara's neck is back, and she springs to her feet. Her face almost pressed against the window, Kara watches as the person turns away and disappears from her sight.

Kara knows that gait.

She's studied it several times, not that she would ever admit that out loud.

"Lena," she whispers. " _Lena_."


	5. Chapter 5

Kara doesn't call Alex this time. She jumps out of her window in her Supersuit, and flies over to the sidewalk she's sure Lena was standing on just a minute before.

 _You can't have gone far,_ she muses out loud, ignoring the stunned looks of the people around her.

She spins on her heels and tries to see through the crowd but it's as if the world hates her because there's no sign of Lena anywhere. She sighs in frustration and takes off, flying low and slow enough that she can observe the people below her. None of them is the person she's looking for.

How can she have disappeared that fast?

* * *

J'onn cuts Kara's little investigation short.

"We think we have a plan. We need you at the DEO now."

"On my way," she confirms, though a bit reluctant to give up her search.

But the thought of catching Lex Luthor makes its way back to the forefront and Kara knows this is the priority.

* * *

Alex arrives only a few minutes after Kara, hair all over the place and a helmet under the arm.

"You owe me," she tells J'onn as she puts the helmet on the round table where a map is laid out.

"Why," the Martian asks.

"I got a speeding ticket because you told me to hurry up," she explains.

Kara snickers and her sister glares at her.

"I'm sure your girlfriend will get you out of it," J'onn says with the hint of a smile.

Alex stares at him, dumbstruck. She hasn't told him about Maggie yet. Winn looks incredibly guilty next to him, and he steps closer to J'onn when Alex moves toward him.

"Alright, enough," J'onn says. "Let's focus. Winn gathered a team for you to lead, Alex."

"Wait, I said no helicopter," Kara interjects.

"There won't be. We're taking submarines."

"What? Since when do we even have those," Alex asks.

"We don't. The military does. I called a friend," J'onn tells them.

Kara smiles as she realizes that Lucy Lane must have done them the favor.

"You're leaving in thirty minutes. The submarines will be waiting for you on Catalina Island. Once you get to Lex's island, it's likely that our communication will be severed. He probably made sure no one but he could contact the outside world. I want him alive, agent Danvers. Is that understood?"

And though he addresses Alex, Kara knows the question is in fact directed at her. Her sister nods and walks off in search of privacy, no doubt to call Maggie and let her know about both her new mission and the speeding ticket. Kara hangs back with J'onn and Winn as he shows her where the island is situated on the map.

* * *

The island is booby-trapped; because of course Lex would do that. She realizes it as soon as she lands on the wet sand. She hears a distinct click and she yells at the men and women behind her.

 _Step back, step back._

She sees the terror in Alex's eyes but her sister complies nonetheless. When everyone is at a safe distance, Kara takes off as quickly as she can, and she feels the heat of the flames when the landmine goes off.

The DEO's advanced technology allows them to detect the other landmines and they cross the beach without further incident. But Kara's hope for the element of surprise is shattered.

* * *

It takes them several hours to canvass the island. Nothing is left unexplored but it becomes obvious rather quickly that no one's been here in years. The dust in the cabin is Kara's first clue. She heads back out into the forest when she hears her name being called out.

"Kara!"

It's Clark. He stands behind her in his Superman costume, fists on his hips.

"Kal-El? What are you doing here?"

"J'onn called. I'm a bit disappointed that you didn't," he says, slightly reproachful.

She lets him come closer but her eyes refuse to meet his. When he speaks again, his voice is soft.

"I'm sorry. About Lena, and the others. I know she was your friend."

She doesn't tell him she saw Lena in the streets. He'd look at her with pity and concern and that's about the last thing she needs right now. Clark mistakes her silence for sadness and he hugs her tightly. Kara lets him. She even hugs back a little, because she did miss her cousin and she feels a bit awful for dodging his calls.

"Come on, let's go. There's nothing useful here," Clark says after a moment.

Kara nods and they join the DEO agents waiting by the water. Once everyone is accounted for and is ready to head back, Supergirl follows Superman up in the air and she races him to the DEO.

* * *

She wants to go back to the prison right away and tell Lillian to shove her deal up her ass, but she knows Alex won't let her do that. Besides, maybe Lillian has more information she'd be willing to share and Kara needs to keep dangling the carrot in front of her. The deal is that carrot.

So she sits back and powers through the useless debrief Alex does, as J'onn listens with a concerned look on his face. After that, Kal-El excuses himself and flies back to Metropolis after making Kara promise she'll keep in touch.

Much later, Kara is allowed to go home and she barely has the energy to fly herself there. The day has taken its toll on her and she hasn't felt that tired in months. When she enters her apartment, she heads straight to the couch and lets herself fall face first onto it.

"Ugh," she whines in the cushions.

The day has been frustrating, and her brain keeps coming back to that moment when she saw Lena. Or thought she had. Kara isn't sure anymore. She is exhausted, and perhaps there is some truth to what Alex said about her hallucinating because of sleep deprivation. Kara knows it's a possibility. And yet, it felt all too real.

Kara groans and she lifts herself up from the couch and heads to the bathroom for a long, relaxing shower. She brushes her teeth and slips into her most comfortable pajamas that smell like fresh lavender.

She collapses onto her bed and drags herself under the covers. Sleep comes quickly and she finds solace in her dreams, where she sees her parents and her childhood friends. She sees Krypton and aunt Astra.

And then she sees Lena. Lena in her office, sitting at her desk, looking beautiful as always. Lena at Kara's, looking vulnerable and shy and incredibly endearing.

Kara smashes her alarm-clock when it goes off in the morning.


	6. Chapter 6

Kara finds herself back at the prison the next day, after asking James for some time off. She'd asked Carr first but he had refused her so Kara had gone over his head. _Perks of being friends with the boss_ , she'd thought as she exited CatCo. She'd waved at Snapper on her way out.

Now, wearing her blue and red costume, she stands in front of the prison gates, alone. She hasn't exactly told anyone she would be coming back here and she can already hear Alex scolding her. But it doesn't matter, not with what's at stake.

Supergirl takes a deep breath and marches forward.

* * *

"Back so soon," Lillian asks as Supergirl enters a room very similar to the one they were in the previous day.

"I have your attorney's number. I can call him as soon as I'm out of here to offer a deal."

Lillian stares at her, smiles and leans back in her chair.

"But?"

"But the lead you gave us yesterday gave us nothing. Lex wasn't there. Not even a hint of where he could be hiding. So if you want me to give that phone call, you're going to give me new leads."

"Is that so?"

"That's the only way it works. Anything you can think of, anywhere Lex could be."

There's a long pause as Lillian considers her options. Kara doesn't like the way the other woman looks at her, as if she can _see_ her. She forces herself to be still and waits for a reply.

"No," Lillian says to her surprise.

"What?"

"I said, no. I won't give you anything more. You must think me stupid, Supergirl. As if I don't know you're never going to get me that deal. Yesterday was a show of good faith, and yet it got me nothing in return. If you think I'm going to help you track down my son without you holding up your end of the deal, I'm afraid you're mistaken."

Before Kara even has a chance to argue or to offer another deal, Lillian calls for the guard and she is escorted off, back to her cell. Kara remains seated, stunned by the turn of events. She didn't expect Lex's mother to actually refuse.

Another guard clears his throat to get her attention and Kara stands numbly and follows him out. Alex is going to kill her.

* * *

Kara weathers the angry storm that is her sister when she tells her the news. She argues that Lillian's answer would have been no different had Alex come with her. Alex retorts that they should have come up with a plan instead of acting recklessly. J'onn puts an end to the argument by ordering them both to take a walk.

Winn and Mon-El offer to go out and get lunch with Kara, but the Kryptonian wants to be left alone. She flies away with no particular destination in mind, but she's not exactly surprised to end up on the roof of L-Corp.

She hasn't been back here since the explosion. The building has been repaired completely by now. It's as if nothing has happened to it. But Kara remembers the flames and the smoke. She recalls vividly the smell of sulfur and death. It's a miracle that only one floor was entirely destroyed, and not the whole tower.

Lex had planned this very carefully.

Kara contemplates the city below for another minute before an idea forms in her mind. There's one place she hasn't been to yet. Maybe she'll find something there.

* * *

A little breaking and entering isn't what she's used to, but somehow Kara doesn't think Lena will mind. The balcony to her penthouse is huge, and the view is to die for. But Kara isn't here to watch the sun set.

She turns to the sliding door and uses her strength to break the handle and get in. The place is clean, almost empty and most likely ready to be sold to the highest bidder. Kara doesn't know what she's looking for, but she opens every door and uses her x-ray vision to see if there isn't something the FBI or the DEO could have missed.

But there's no hidden safe behind paintings or drawers with false bottoms. No suspicious belonging and no element that seems out of place. Kara sighs as she sits down on the couch. Something doesn't feel right but she has no idea what it could be. It's the vague impression that someone has been here recently, more recently than governmental agents.

It takes Kara a while to understand what it is that's nagging her. And then, suddenly, just as she takes a deep breath to focus, she gets it. The whole place has a lingering smell that Kara knows well. A smell that should not—could not—be there after so many weeks.

It's Lena's perfume.


	7. Chapter 7

There is no further doubt in Kara's mind that Lena is alive now. She hasn't dreamed that smell. Still in her Supergirl outfit, she requests access to the building's surveillance system. The man who leads her to the room is grumpy and grumbles about the FBI making a mess of his place and Kara simply tunes him out after thirty seconds.

She sits in the uncomfortable chair and watches the monitors closely. She rewinds the surveillance feed to about a day earlier and decides to focus on the entrance of the building, and on the hallway that leads to the penthouse. There's no way Lena made it to her place by using the roof unless she's become a ninja or something and climbed the building. So Kara sits and waits.

* * *

It's over four hours and seventeen minutes later when she jumps out of the chair and hits pause, then rewind.

"What the…"

The time on the monitor indicates 8.36.13 in the morning— _this_ morning. Except that it remains stuck on 13 seconds for three more seconds before it jumps up to 8.36.14. Kara rewinds the feed over and over again, trying to make sense of what she's seeing. Because time froze for three seconds but there's absolutely nothing out of the ordinary on screen. There's no one.

At 9.07.54, time freezes again, for three seconds, _again_. _In and out_ , Kara thinks. Yet the monitor shows nothing but an empty hallway and a closed door.

But Kara can feel it in her bones. Lena was here today.

* * *

The search for the other woman is going to drive her insane. Kara doesn't know where to look, where to even begin. She can't ask Alex or anyone else because they'd think she truly lost it. There is one thing she can think of, so she flies to the DEO and hopes that Winn is working late hours again.

When she sees him at his usual desk, she sighs in relief.

"Winn!"

He turns in his chair.

"Supergirl? What are you doing here?"

"I need you to do something for me."

"Uh, is it illegal?"

"No! As if you'd care if it was, anyway."

Winn shrugs and smiles. He's never been worried about doing illegal stuff, especially now that he does it on behalf of a secret organization.

"So, what is it?"

"I'd like to see the video surveillance of L-Corp the day of the attack."

"Uh, why?"

"Just show it to me, Winn. Is there anywhere I could be alone to do that?"

He looks at her suspiciously but Kara doesn't waver.

"There's a room I can set you up in. But, Kara, I don't know what you expect to find on these old feeds. We went over them already."

"That's none of your concern, Winn. Just, please, do as I ask?"

She loves Winn, truly. He's probably her best friend still, despite James and Mon-El. It doesn't feel right to compare him to Lena. Lena is… she's different. Their friendship is different. But Winn, dear Winn wants to help, always. And so he doesn't argue further and after a couple of minutes he spends typing on his keyboard, he stands up and leads Kara to a room she's never been in before. There, he gives her a laptop and types a few codes that Kara doesn't bother to try and understand.

"There you go," he says. "The day of the attack. Have fun. Don't stay up too late."

"Thanks, Winn."

"Anytime."

And then Kara is alone.

* * *

She finds what she's looking for rather quickly. At 7.57a.m, Lena's car pulls up in the parking lot, in the reserved spot for the CEO. Kara's breath catches in her throat when she sees the other woman exit her vehicle. Lena had been wearing a dark blue dress that day. Kara didn't know that. Seeing her now, alive on that screen, makes her stomach churn. Her right hand grips the table so hard it leaves a dent in the metallic surface.

Kara watches as Lena walks toward the elevator and disappears in it at 7.59. She knows that the DEO doesn't have the feeds of Lena's floor because the explosion blew everything up. She calculates roughly the time needed to go up from the parking lot to Lena's office. The CEO had ample time to make it before the bomb went off.

There is no way she could have survived the explosion. If she'd been on another floor, someone would have seen her and told the police about it. Kara lets her head fall into her hands. Then, with renewed confidence in what she felt earlier in Lena's penthouse, she focuses on the screen once more.

At 8.21, the doors to the elevator open and no one comes out.

"Rao," Kara whispers. "It was you."

* * *

If life on Earth as an alien has taught Kara anything, it's that the impossible doesn't exist. Her own powers are proof enough. Sure, she's not technically human, but humans have managed a number of things their ancestors never thought could be achieved.

So, if Lena has found a way to escape an explosion and to manipulate camera feeds… well, it's possible, isn't it? Because what other explanation could there be? Hell, she wouldn't be surprised to find out that the Luthors are, in fact, immortal. Well, if it wasn't for the fact that Lex kept trying to kill his sister.

Kara paces in the small room, laptop still showing the elevator doors open and close, on a loop. Why did the DEO overlook that detail? She rushes out of the room and makes her way back to Winn, who is still at his desk. He looks up when he hears her approach.

"Hey, found what you were looking for?"

"I need you to come with me. There's something you can clear up for me," she says hurriedly.

"Uh, okay," Winn replies hesitantly as he gets up.

Supergirl grabs his arm and speeds back to the room. Winn looks pale when she lets him go, and he stands shakily on his feet.

"What's the rush, Kara?"

"Look," she orders and she points to the laptop.

Winn turns his eyes to the screen and watches intently. After a minute, he looks up at Kara.

"I don't get it. What am I supposed to see?"

"Winn, the elevator doors open and close, but do you see anyone in or out of it?"

"No, but that could easily be explained by a technical malfunction."

"It's not. I've checked all the feeds. The elevators stopped working after the explosion. All of them, but not this one. This one opened once more."

"So why did you ask me here?"

"I just needed to check that it wasn't just me who couldn't see anything. That it wasn't because I'm an alien."

"Well, it's not. But I really think you're reading too much into this."

Kara doesn't bother to reply. She thanks him and hands him the laptop before sending him off. There's not much else she can do here, and when J'onn crosses her path a moment later and asks her to stay at the DEO because they might have a rogue alien in town, she accepts reluctantly.

* * *

A fight with someone as strong as you is both entertaining and very annoying. Kara has learned that the hard way in the past but tonight she wishes she could just beat the alien's ass and go home. She's in no mood to fight but the Guardian and Mon-El can't do her job for her, so Supergirl endures punch after punch and gives back as good as she gets.

It still takes the help of some DEO agents to bring him down and restrain him. The alien roars and vows that he will free himself until Alex gets bored with his yelling and jams a needle in his neck. In less than five seconds, he is out.

"There," she says, "take a nap."

Alex walks over to where Supergirl is standing.

"Hey. That was quite the fight! Are you alright?"

"Yeah. Yeah I'm okay. I'm just going to… go home and sleep."

"Okay…"

Her sister looks concerned but Kara offers her best reassuring smile before she shoots up into the sky and disappears from Alex's sight.

* * *

The hot shower does wonders for her slightly aching muscles. Kara takes her time to wash her hair, and once she's done with her shower, she decides to try the new body lotion Alex gifted her earlier this week. It smells like coconut and she finds that she enjoys it very much. It makes her skin perfectly smooth.

She puts on a clean shirt and underwear, and slips into her most comfortable pair of sweatpants before heading to the kitchen. She hasn't eaten in far too long and her stomach is reminding her of that rather loudly. In the fridge, Kara finds leftover lasagna and she uses her heat vision to warm it up quickly.

She's about halfway through her plate when there's a knock on the door. A quick glance at the clock on the wall tells Kara that it's past midnight and she sighs because only Alex would dare to come over so late. As she gets up from her stool, Kara takes a sip of her water, sets the glass down and hurries toward the door.

To her surprise, when she opens it, it's to an empty hallway. It takes her a second to realize what is going on. Slowly, she takes a step back and waits. Nothing happens, and when she tries to use her x-ray vision discreetly, Kara sees nothing suspect at all. She sighs and closes the door and locks it.

And then she smells it.

The perfume.

Lena's perfume.

Lena is in her apartment.


	8. Chapter 8

Her forehead pressed against the door she just closed and her eyes shut tightly, Kara tries to concentrate so as to not break the door handle still in her hand. She takes a deep breath and counts to three before she trusts herself enough to speak.

"If I turn around, will I see you?"

It feels like an eternity before she gets an answer.

"Yes," Lena says, her voice barely a whisper.

Slowly, as if she can't muster the strength to spin on her heels faster, Kara turns around. And there, just a few feet from her, stands Lena Luthor. Kara's breath catches in her throat.

Lena looks tired and frail but no less beautiful than how Kara remembers her. Kara stares at her, at the pale skin that somehow seems even paler now, at the dark hair that have been cut slightly shorter, at the green eyes that stare right back, with something that looks awfully like tears in them.

Lena is silent, probably waiting for Kara to speak first, and maybe she's just taking in her presence as well. After all, it's been months since they last saw each other.

When it becomes clear that Kara won't utter a word, Lena attempts a smile and says:

"Breathe, Kara. I wouldn't want you to drop dead now."

Kara releases a breath she didn't know she was holding and steps forward, slowly. Lena lets her come closer until they stand a foot apart.

"Are you real?" Kara asks.

It sounds stupid, it really does, but she still has no idea how in the hell Lena can be alive, so maybe this is just one big hallucination.

"I'm real," Lena confirms, "and I'm here."

"Alive."

"Alive."

"How?"

It's the one question that Kara can't answer, the one that's been eating away at her over the past few days. She needs Lena to explain herself, to make sense of everything that's happened since the explosion.

"Can we sit," Lena asks instead of answering.

Kara nods and, instinctively, holds out a hand for Lena to take. The brunette hesitates for a second but then slowly raises her hand until it touches Kara's. The mere contact is electrifying for Kara. It's tangible proof that Lena is here, with her, flesh and blood. She tugs Lena closer and brings her other hand to her face, where she lets fingertips ghost over Lena's cheek.

Lena, once again, lets her. She watches Kara softly, waits for her to dictate their encounter. She squeezes Kara's hand as if to reassure her that she's real.

"I've missed you," Lena confesses quietly.

This seems to snap Kara out of her trance, because she blinks and steps back, then leads Lena to the couch and together they sit. Their hands remain joined; neither of them willing to break the contact.

"I thought you were dead. Everyone thinks you're dead."

"I know, I—"

"Why? Why did you disappear? And, and how did you do it?"

"I can explain. Let me explain, Kara."

"Did you know? About the explosion?"

"Did I know what?"

"That it was going to happen. Did you know?"

At that, Lena retracts her hand. Kara sees the hurt in Lena's eyes and realizes she's messed up.

"Do you really think so little of me? Do you believe me capable of—of what? Blowing up my own office? Killing my employees?"

"Not you, but… maybe someone warned you and that's why you weren't in your office when the bomb went off."

Lena looks away, frustrated. She runs her hands through her hair, then folds them in her lap.

"The day of the explosion, I got a call from a friend who works for the FBI. She told me that Lex had escaped about twelve hours earlier and they had reason to believe he was going to make a move against me. I didn't know anything else and I certainly didn't expect it to happen so soon. I went to work like any other day."

"I saw your car in the parking lot. I saw you get in the elevator."

"I did. But I didn't go up to my office. I went down to one of our secret levels. We have labs there. I wanted to check on some of our newly created devices."

"No one came forward to tell us about this."

"No one was there, Kara. The scientists work at night to avoid running into other employees. I had them all sign NDAs when I hired them. And the security cameras have their own separate room, on the same level."

There's a short silence during which Kara tries her best to process the information. Secret labs at L-Corp. She's not terribly surprised, and even if she trusts Lena, she can't suppress the small shiver that runs through her body.

"You were in there… you heard everything."

"I did."

Lena looks haunted, as if she's remembering the exact moment she heard the deflagration. Her tone is distant and colder when she speaks again.

"I knew it was Lex. The moment I heard the explosion, when the whole building shook… I knew it was him. My own brother, trying to kill me. I had to think fast. I also knew that Lex wasn't going to stop until he got what he wanted, so I gave that to him. Now he thinks I'm dead."

"How did you get out of the building?"

This is something Kara wants—no, _needs_ —to know. Lena smiles and holds up her right hand. On her middle finger, there is a ring. It's a plain silver band with a small ruby and Kara hadn't noticed it before.

"This is something I've been working on for years," Lena explains, pride evident in her tone. "I won't bore you with scientific details, but this ring allows me to turn completely invisible for a few hours. It runs on a solar battery but not this Earth's sun. I have a specific solar lamp in each and every place that I own. There's still some work to be done with it though. The battery doesn't last as long as I'd like and it can be a problem when you're trying to, well, be invisible."

"Wow. I just… This is unbelievable."

And it is, really. Kara's head is spinning. Her friend has created an invisibility ring and that's probably the coolest thing she's ever heard. A thought pops up in her mind.

"Wait… That day in the streets, when I saw you… You were there, weren't you? I mean, I didn't dream."

"I was."

Lena's expression become somber at the memory and Kara isn't sure why but she doesn't ask.

"You weren't supposed to see me; the ring just ran out of battery."

"Oh."

After another short silence, Kara clears her throat and goes on with her questions.

"How come none of your scientists noticed the ring was missing though?"

"Like I said, _I_ 've been working on it."

"You alone?"

"Me alone. I couldn't trust anyone else with something that important."

"Wow."

Lena allows Kara to touch the ring even if Kara doesn't ask for her to slip it off her finger.

"How does it work?"

"I just need to turn the ruby so that it faces inward and I disappear."

As she speaks, Lena twists the ring and suddenly there's no one sitting next to Kara, who looks up, alarmed.

"Lena?"

"Still here."

"I can still feel your fingers."

"That's normal."

"Wouldn't people bump into you in the streets?"

"No, actually," Lena says as she reappears. "As long as you're not aware that someone is invisible, you can basically walk right through them. The invisible person only becomes solid if you _know_ they're here. It's all a matter of awareness. As for me, I can't go through walls or doors, or anything."

That's when everything clicks for Kara. The elevator doors in the parking lot, and the penthouse.

"The cameras at your place…"

"Ah, you saw that? It's… I have access to them via a remote. I can stop them from working whenever I want."

"But… why would you want that?"

Lena blushes a little and she looks down at her hands.

"Well, you see, as the CEO of L-Corp I am often in the public eye but I'd like to keep my private life just that: private. So when I have… _special friends_ coming over, I make sure no one can see them but me."

"Oh," is all Kara can utter.

There's a strange feeling in her chest that Kara quells immediately. Now isn't the time to analyze whatever the Luthor makes her feel.

"I simply paused the camera to give me enough time to open and close the door without it showing up on the surveillance feeds."

"Where have you been staying this whole time?"

"I have an apartment in town that's under an alias. No cameras there."

Kara nods and she gets up suddenly. Lena looks at her, eyebrows raised questioningly. Kara simply grabs two glasses and a bottle of water before settling back on the couch. She fills the glasses and hands one to Lena who accepts it gratefully.

"So what now? How long do you think you'll have to stay hidden?"

"I'm not sure."

"But how can you live like that? Hiding? It's not a life, Lena."

"I don't intend to live like that. There's a reason I decided to reveal myself to you," Lena says as her eyes meet Kara's and hold her gaze.

"Why did you?"

"I need your help."

"Me? But I—I'm just… I can't… I mean, how could I help you take down Lex? I don't know where he is."

" _I do_."

The confession stuns Kara. Her mouth opens slightly in shock and she's pretty sure she stops breathing altogether.

"You do? How?"

The silence that follows is so long that Kara wonders if Lena's even heard her. She puts a hand on Lena's knee to get her attention.

"Lena?"

"I have this ability. I've had it for as long as I can remember. My mother—well, _Lillian_ —told me that the reason my birth parents gave me up was because I… I freaked them out."

"You have superpowers?"

"No, not exactly. I can… When I focus on someone really hard, I can hear their thoughts. I can read their minds."

"You're telepathic?"

"Kind of. It's complicated."

"You think your parents gave you up because of that," Kara repeats softly.

"Yes. The Luthors knew about my ability when they adopted me. After a few years, I realized that that was actually the reason they adopted me at all."

"What do you mean?"

Lena sighs then, a deep and wistful sigh. Kara takes hold of her hand once more and lets her thumb stroke the smooth skin below.

"When I was a child, Lionel and Lillian would bring me to dinners and galas, and they would ask me to focus on a few people and make note of whatever they were thinking. That's how the Luthors built their empire so quickly and without much opposition."

"They used you," Kara murmurs, horrified.

"Lex… Lex taught me how to lie. He said I didn't have to do anything I didn't want to do. He taught me how to lie to our parents, and when Lillian and Lionel realized that I wasn't useful to them anymore, they sent me off to Europe for my studies. In the meantime, Lex also found a way to protect himself from me. I don't know how he did it, but I could never read his thoughts after that. He must've found a way to shut me out. Until recently."

Kara understands at once.

"Now that he thinks you're dead, he doesn't have to protect his mind from you."

"Exactly. It took me a while to get reacquainted with my power. I hadn't used it in years. But eventually I managed. And now I know where he is, what his next moves are and who's working with him."

"Your mother?"

"Surprisingly, no. She's just as much in the dark as everybody else about his intentions."

"So what do you need me to do?"

"I need Supergirl."

* * *

In the short silence that follows Lena's request, Kara thinks of many things. She wonders how the others will react to Lena's survival and abilities, she wonders if Alex will be mad if she tells Lena that she is Supergirl, she wonders if she should tell Lena about the DEO. She wonders if she should pretend to set up a meeting with Supergirl, because obviously they can't be in the same room at the same time without Kara revealing who she is.

She wonders if she can trust Lena. That last thought takes her completely by surprise, as Kara had thought her trust in Lena was firmly rooted in the friendship they had built over the past year. Yet everything that the Luthor has revealed tonight doesn't sit well with Kara and it makes her realize that Lena is not as pristine white as she looks.

The idea that Lena can read her mind at any moment makes her deeply uncomfortable and she wonders if Lena would ever violate her trust like that. When she dares to look at the brunette again, she finds Lena staring back, waiting expectantly for her answer.

"Uh, I'll see what I can do, of course."

Lena's expression doesn't change and Kara squirms.

"Are you—are you reading my mind right now?"

"I can't, actually," Lena replies right away.

"Oh. Why?"

Kara wants to scream and shake Lena when she remains silent. She does none of that, and she watches, frustrated, as Lena gets up from the couch and walks over to the window. Kara had sat there only a few days prior, and she'd seen Lena in the streets below. The faint glow of the city light reflects on Lena's face and Kara contemplates her beauty for a moment before she joins her at the window. They stand side by side in silence; Kara still wondering if Lena's ever going to answer her.

She does, after another minute.

"There are some people that are immune to my telepathic powers. _None of them are human_. Tell me, Kara… If I punched you in the face right now, would I break your nose or would I break my hand?"

Kara's heart skips a beat as Lena's words sink in.

She knows.

* * *

In the few seconds that follow, Kara scrambles to find a rebuttal, anything to steer Lena off the truth, but nothing comes to mind.

"I trusted you with my secrets tonight," Lena continues, not really expecting an answer to her rhetorical question. "I hope you know that you can trust me with yours."

Kara is looking at Lena, at a loss for words, but Lena is still focused on the city below and she pretends not to feel the anxiety coming off of Kara in waves.

"How—when?"

"You didn't show up at my funeral. I was worried."

"You attended your own funeral?"

Lena smiles, but there's no joy in it. Her eyes find Kara's once more.

"I did. Out of curiosity, to see who would attend. Can't say I was surprised at the low turn-out. But I wasn't there for me."

The atmosphere grows heavy— _heavier_ —and Kara wishes she could just hug Lena because she knows, she understands what the other woman means. Lena has lost many of her people in the explosion and it makes sense that she would feel guilty about it. It makes sense that she would go to their funeral if she could.

"I'm sorry," Kara offers quietly, knowing that her words will do nothing to ease Lena's sorrow.

"I was worried about you and I could only think of one way to make sure you were okay," Lena continues. "So I meditated for a while to try and reconnect with the psychic in me, and then I waited for you outside of your place. When I saw you, I tried to… to hear your thoughts. I know I shouldn't have. But, well, you were my only friend and I knew my death would likely cause you pain. I needed to know you'd be alright. Imagine my surprise when I realized I couldn't do it."

Her tone holds no resentment yet Kara feels like something is wrong between them, like something is broken. She swallows hard under Lena's piercing gaze.

"I wanted to tell you, about me. But knowing my secret puts you at risk. Me, too. I didn't think it was absolutely necessary that you know."

"I understand, Kara."

"But it doesn't feel that way. You're disappointed in me," Kara argues.

Lena looks away; her shoulders sagging a bit.

"I'm not. I'm just worried."

"Worried?"

"Kara, you were… to me you were sweet and innocent and so far from all the shit that comes with being different. You were my friend. But then I learned that you are actually a superhero, a Super… and I can't help but think that it's only a matter of time before my last name drives us apart."

At that, Kara reacts immediately. She steps closer to Lena; so close that she feels Lena's left arm brush against her chest.

"No."

"No?"

Lena looks amused and she tilts her head to the side, still not facing Kara but looking at her nonetheless.

"I won't let that happen. I told you, both as Kara and as Supergirl that you are more than just your name. You are more than a Luthor, Lena. You've proven that time and again. Lex's history with Superman won't repeat itself with us. You mean too much to me for it to ever happen."

Perhaps it's the impassioned tone or the earnest words—Kara isn't sure what does it—but Lena wraps her arms around Kara's neck and hugs her really tight. Kara hugs back instinctively and closes her eyes. They've never really done that before, being so intimately close. It feels good. It feels right.

The embrace lasts and lasts, but neither woman seems to mind. Kara's hands are flat on Lena's back whereas Lena's hold the back of Kara's head and neck. After weeks of drowning in despair and anger, Kara feels appeased, at peace. Holding Lena in her arms is cathartic.

"I've missed you, too," she whispers. "I've missed you so much."

Lena's hand tightens in her hair.


	9. Chapter 9

They pull apart, eventually, and if the hug lasted long enough to be considered awkward, neither Kara nor Lena acknowledges it.

"Are we done playing twenty questions," Lena asks with an uncertain smile.

"For now," Kara concedes.

A look at the DVD player lets her know that it's now way past midnight.

"Are you hungry?"

"I could eat," Lena admits.

"Great. I haven't really had dinner yet."

Her plate is still waiting for her on the table, unfinished. Kara pulls out another plate and gestures in direction of the fridge.

"Help yourself to whatever you want that's in there."

"Oh, thank you!"

Kara waits until Lena is sat with her at the table before she takes a bite of her lasagna.

"Ew," she says as she swallows, "it's cold."

"How long has this been out?"

"Since before you showed up," Kara confesses sheepishly. "I probably should've known it'd be cold by now."

"Well, don't you have a microwave," Lena questions, failing to suppress a slightly mocking smile.

"No need."

Technically, Lena's witnessed Supergirl's powers before so she's not really doing anything new. Except that this time, when she uses her heat vision, she's dressed as Kara—a ready-for-bed Kara. Lena watches, enraptured, her fingers drumming on the table, next to her plate. Kara blushes when she looks up and realizes she's being watched.

"I'm never going to get used to this," Lena jokes as she picks up her fork and steals a bit of lasagna from Kara's plate.

For the first time in forever, Kara doesn't mind sharing her food.

* * *

They eat in silence; Kara trying hard not to stare at Lena and Lena pretending she doesn't notice, although there's a lingering smile she can't suppress on her face.

"Why didn't you come to me sooner," Kara asks once they're done and she's putting the plates in her dishwasher.

"I only just figured out where Lex is staying."

"So? You knew I was Supergirl, you could have still reached out and I would've protected you if need be."

Kara struggles with the resentment that suddenly washes over her. She understands what Lena is saying and yet she can't seem to accept it. Lena isn't impressed. She raises an eyebrow and leans against the table.

"I couldn't take the risk of anyone finding out I wasn't dead. It has nothing to do with you, Kara."

Lena will not back down on this; Kara knows. She nods and drops the topic.

"I will have to tell the DEO about you," she says cautiously.

"Is it absolutely necessary?"

"If we're going after Lex we'll need a team with us."

It's not what Kara had imagined, and she hasn't had time to process her feelings regarding Lex but she knows that this is the sensible choice. That too many things can go wrong if she just goes with Lena. As they make their way back to the couch, Kara forces herself to face her darker thoughts.

Does she resent Lena for not telling her about her telepathic ability sooner? Maybe a little. Does she still want to kill Lex Luthor? _Yes_. She's dreamed about it several times since the explosion. She's dreamed about all the different ways she could end his life. It should scare her, but it doesn't. _That_ is what scares her.

"Kara? Are you still with me?"

Lena's voice snaps her out of her thoughts and she realizes that they're now sitting down. There's concern in Lena's eyes and Kara waves it off.

"Yeah, sorry. What were you saying?"

"Just that I should get going soon. The ring will run out of battery even if I don't actively use it."

"Oh. I—Are you sure? I'd rather not lose sight of you. I mean I'd sleep better if I knew you were safe."

The excuse sounds lame, even to her own ears, and Lena sees right through it.

"Relax, Kara. Nothing's going to happen to me."

"You don't know that," Kara retorts defensively.

"What do you suggest I do? Go to work with you at CatCo during the day?"

"I took some time off."

"Oh. Well, I still need to recharge the ring," Lena points out.

"I can get that solar lamp for you. Lena…"

She has to be truthful right now, or Lena will end up walking out of that door and Kara simply can't let that happen. Not so soon after getting her back.

"Lena," she starts again, her voice more confident, "I wish you stay here with me, at least until we figure out a plan of action. I'd feel much better if I could actually see you all the time."

At Lena's raised eyebrow, Kara realizes the double-meaning of her words and she blushes.

"I—I mean," she stutters, "I mean not _all the time_ all the time, not in a pervy way, no, I just… You know what I mean."

If Lena's amused expression is anything to go by, she's enjoying this way too much. Kara slaps her arm playfully and Lena chuckles.

"Fine, Kara, fine. It if helps you sleep tonight, I'll stay. But I do need that solar lamp. There's one in my penthouse, in the bottom drawer of the bedside table; I trust you know the way?"

"Affirmative," Kara nods. "You wait for me here and I'll be right back. Oh, while I think about it, I might've broken the handle of the sliding door."

"Well, lucky for you I won't be living there for a while so it won't be a problem."

"I'll make it up to you, I promise," Kara says over her shoulder as she walks to her bedroom to get changed.

A moment later, she waves at Lena and swears she won't be long before she takes off into the night.

* * *

It takes Kara all of two minutes to find what she's looking for. The solar lamp is rather small but Kara supposes it gets the job done. She revisits Lena's penthouse and gathers some things she knows the woman will need, such as a toothbrush and clean clothes and underwear.

Kara blushes hard while she goes through the drawer full of lingerie and she tries her best not to focus too much on what she's doing. She settles for a couple of ensembles and slams the drawer shut a bit harder than intended. She shoves everything into the paper bag she was smart enough to bring with her and flies away.

On her flight back to her place, Kara's thoughts drift into uncharted territory as her mind conjures up an image of Lena in that lacy black bra hidden in the bag and the Kryptonian almost drops everything she's holding. This hasn't happened before. Well, at least, not while she's awake if Kara's honest with herself.

She's had dreams about Lena, dreams she's forced herself to never think about or analyze. Dreams that make her heart beat faster. Dreams completely, absolutely inappropriate, considering Lena is a friend. But Kara forgives herself by repeating over and over in her head that she has no control over her subconscious.

The underwear though, Kara suspects, will haunt her for the foreseeable future.

* * *

Lena is sprawled on the couch when Kara comes back and it really doesn't help that her shirt is slightly riding up, which means Kara can see soft, creamy skin and that is the last thing she needs right now. Thankfully, Lena sits up when she hears the window close behind Supergirl.

"That was fast," she remarks.

"Yeah, perks of being able to fly, I guess," Kara laughs nervously.

She hands Lena the paper bag and makes sure she's not looking her in the eye when she does so.

"Here. I picked up some stuff you'll need. I hope you don't mind."

"Not at all," Lena replies as she takes hold of the bag and peeks inside, "I—oh. I see you found the underwear drawer. I hope that wasn't too uncomfortable."

Kara's cheeks are burning and she looks at her feet while she shakes her head.

"Or traumatizing," Lena adds, clearly teasing her now.

"What you have in there is probably more expensive than everything in this apartment combined. If anything I'd say it was a bit intimidating," Kara manages to say without stuttering.

"Well, thank you, Kara. It was a very thoughtful move. Can I use the bathroom?"

"Oh, of course, it's right over there," Kara exclaims a bit too loudly as she points toward the closed door behind her.

As she gets up gracefully, Lena shoots Kara a thankful smile and steps around her to go to the bathroom. Kara doesn't move, doesn't dare breathe until she hears the click that means the door is safely locked behind Lena.

* * *

When Lena comes out of the bathroom fifteen minutes later, she stops in her tracks and shakes her head.

"No. No way."

"What," Kara asks, alarmed.

"I am not kicking you out of bed, Kara. I'll take the couch."

Kara sits up and pushes the blanket back a little. She's used her super speed to change the sheets of her bed, get back in her pajamas and to settle on the couch before Lena could say anything, but apparently her friend is going to argue over this anyway.

"Psh, no way! You're a guest, you get the bed."

"I didn't want to impose, Kara, I'm certainly not letting you sleep on your own couch."

"I won't move off this couch."

"Kara, you're making me feel terrible."

Lena even dares to pout. Kara's eyes widen and she scrambles to her feet, pillow and blanket forgotten behind as she walks over to where Lena is standing. Lena, wearing a shirt too large for her and a pair of shorts too short for Kara's wandering mind.

"No, don't feel terrible! I—I just… It's just that you're the guest, you're not supposed to sleep on the couch."

"Then let me sleep with you, Kara, if it's so important to you," Lena suggests.

"Sleep with me," Kara practically squeals.

Both hands shoot up to her face to adjust her glasses. Lena smirks.

"I meant let's share the bed, Kara. Mind out of the gutter."

"Yes. Right. I know that. I got that."

She's still rambling when Lena walks away from her and into the bedroom. Kara is left to stare after her and if her eyes drop a little too low for a couple of seconds, she will deny it until the day she dies.

"Kara? Are you coming?"

"Oh Rao," she whispers.

Then, louder:

"Yep! Yes! On my way!"

* * *

So maybe Lena tells her to stop thinking so much once or twice or thrice before she drifts off to sleep. Maybe Kara tries to follow her advice but fails miserably. She's not used to sleeping with someone in her bed. It doesn't matter that it's Lena, Kara thinks. It could be Winn or Alex and she'd still feel nervous.

 _That's a lie_ , her mind tells her.

What's not a lie is Kara's joy at having Lena back, safe and sound. Alive. It's Kara's trepidation at the thought of what awaits them now. It's her worry over the possibility of losing Lena again and the fierce need she feels to protect her from all the danger out there, namely her brother Lex.

Kara's mind keeps going through different scenarios—all of them pointless, she knows, because Lena hasn't given her any detail on Lex's location—and it's a long time before she manages to branch off and focus on more positive things, like the fast approaching summer holidays. Kara and her friends had talked about taking some time off to go on a vacation. It had been idle talk; all of them all too aware of the burden that came with keeping the city safe, but it had felt nice nonetheless. Kara thinks about that now, about where she'd like to go and how she'd like to relax.

It's with images of beaches and sea, of cliffs and sunsets that Kara falls asleep, her back on Lena who looks peaceful on the other side of the bed.


	10. Chapter 10

"What the hell?!"

Kara jerks awake and looks up, alarmed, at the intruder in her bedroom. It's Alex, a hand still on the door handle and the other on the gun holstered at her side. Kara hasn't heard her come in. She hasn't heard the front door unlock either.

"Kara!"

Of course, things must look weird to Alex. To be fair, they're a bit weird to Kara, too. Her arm is around Lena's waist and holds the woman close to her. Kara's face, she realizes, was pretty much buried in her hair just a few seconds before. How they've come to cuddle during the night, Kara has no idea.

Surprisingly, Lena hasn't woken up despite Alex barging into the room and not being exactly discreet. Kara places a finger on her lips to silence her sister and slowly disentangles herself from Lena and the sheets.

Alex is still staring at the scene before her, eyes wide and hand twitching at her side. Kara has to grab her elbow and drag her out of the room when she walks past her to make Alex react.

"What the hell is going on? Who is _this_ ," Alex hisses, pointing toward the bedroom door that Kara has closed behind them.

"This is Lena Luthor, Alex. You've seen her before," Kara deadpans, arms crossed against her chest.

"I've—Kara, where did you find the shape-shifter? This isn't healthy for you! I didn't even know you were into Lena Luthor like that!"

"Like what, agent Danvers?"

The husky voice startles them both. It seems that Lena wasn't asleep after all. Neither sister has heard her open the door. She leans against the doorframe, left eyebrow raised, shorts still too short for Kara's taste. Lena doesn't even flinch when Alex pulls her gun on her.

"Who are you," Alex asks menacingly.

"I believe we've already met a few times, agent Danvers. Once in this very apartment."

Alex looks completely lost. Kara places a gentle hand on the arm that's pointing the Glock at Lena and Alex reluctantly puts it back in its holster. She glances back and forth between Kara and Lena, waiting for an explanation.

"Alex, what are you doing here?"

"What am I—I tried calling you and kept getting your voicemail. I was worried because you didn't seem well yesterday. What is _she_ doing here? _How_ is she here?"

"It's a long story," Kara begins to say.

"I wasn't in my office when it blew up. I was checking on some new prototypes in L-Corp's underground lab. I heard the explosion, figured it was meant to kill me, grabbed this little thing here…"

She wiggles her finger with the ring and Alex frowns.

"…and disappeared. Literally."

"It's an invisibility ring," Kara adds.

If the situation wasn't so serious— _and awkward_ , Kara thinks—she might have laughed at the look on her sister's face. Alex sits on the couch and brings a hand to her temple.

"So… You're telling me that this whole time you were alive?"

Lena nods and moves from the doorway to the kitchen where she takes a glass on the dish rack and pours herself some water.

"I don't—I don't… This is _crazy_."

"There's more," Kara says in a sheepish tone. "But I think we should probably head over to the DEO so that we can brief everyone at the same time."

Alex looks ready to burst and she makes a face at Kara. It makes Lena smile in her glass, and after she empties it, she makes her way to the bathroom where her clothes are waiting for her. On her way there, she looks over her shoulder—Kara looks up quickly but she can tell she's been busted by the way Lena grins at her—and says:

"Oh don't worry, agent Danvers. I know that Kara is Supergirl."

Kara wishes she could have her own invisibility ring right this moment.

* * *

The ride to the DEO is filled with a tense silence that no one dares to break. Alex keeps throwing glances in the rearview mirror and Kara knows she must be trying to wrap her head around the news she's just learned. Lena is in the backseat, invisible, and even to Kara it's still weird. Thankfully, traffic is fluid so the ride takes less than ten minutes. Kara is out of the car before it's at a complete stop.

* * *

The room Alex chooses to have their meeting in is small and very similar to the room where Kara had met with Lillian Luthor. Once they're all inside, Alex finds Kara's eyes, then looks pointedly at the camera. Kara takes the hint and she floats toward it and turns it toward the ceiling.

At everyone's puzzled look, Kara begins to explain why they've been summoned in the room this early in the morning. She's brief and doesn't give much detail, just the basics of what Lena's told her. When she's done, she looks around the room and clears her throat.

"Lena?"

The brunette materializes right next to her and Winn staggers and bumps into the wall behind him. James' jaw drops and he looks back and forth between Lena and Kara. J'onn hides his surprise well but Kara sees it in the way his arms cross and rest against his chest.

"So, I'm going to let Lena speak now because there's a lot more she needs to say."

* * *

No one interrupts Lena while she explains everything, from her telepathic ability to the day of the explosion. Lena seems totally unfazed by the mistrusting looks Winn and James give her. J'onn, to his credit, remains as impassible as ever. Kara wonders briefly where Mon-El is, and then remembers that he has the night shift at the bar which means he's probably asleep now, at barely eight in the morning.

When Lena arrives at the part where she tells them she knows where Lex is hiding; the atmosphere in the room changes.

"Can you tell what I'm thinking right now," Winn challenges Lena.

"Do you want me to get inside your head?"

"Sure, let's see how reliable that power of yours is," he shrugs.

"Very well."

Kara's eyes shift to Lena's face and she watches, in awe, as her friend's features change. Suddenly, Lena seems far away. If Kara couldn't hear Lena's heartbeat, she would swear she's stopped breathing. Winn squirms, uncomfortable with the way Lena stares at him with hollow eyes. The whole thing lasts maybe ten seconds, before Lena blinks and her body visibly relaxes. She doesn't look away from Winn though, and she takes a moment before she speaks.

"You're wondering if I set up the bomb in my office. If everything isn't part of a bigger plan to bring all of you to my brother so he can kill you. If my next move will be to find a way to enslave Supergirl. I really like that one, by the way."

Kara shoots daggers at Winn and he cowers behind James a little. Lena, however, remains unaffected and doesn't hide her amusement at the situation.

"You also wonder if I know who Supergirl really is," Lena continues, "to which I can answer: yes, I do. Is that enough to convince you of my abilities or shall I go on?"

"That's—that's fine," Winn stutters.

Lena smiles, a smile too wide to be anything but fake, but Kara mirrors her. She has really missed Lena's presence.

"Not a word of this to anyone outside of this room," J'onn orders. "Miss Luthor?"

"Yes?"

"I trust you can remain invisible while you're inside the DEO?"

"Absolutely."

"Good. Now, please, tell us about your brother."

The too-bright smile fades quickly from Lena's face.

* * *

They end up sitting around the table. Kara pulls the chair next to Lena, and she ignores Alex's raised eyebrow. Lena talks about the desert in which Lex is hiding. She describes the bunker he's elected to live in for the time being. She says he's been there for over three weeks now so it looks like it will be his base for a while. Kara senses the urgency in her tone and she finds herself wanting to be done with this whole thing already. She wants Lex gone, she wants Lena to have her life back.

Lex is in Nevada; Lena tells them. She mentions the Smoke Creek Desert and how her brother used to disappear for days at a time there. To oversee the bunker's construction, she surmises. Lena warns them that getting to Lex won't be easy as he's had ample time to secure this area around his hideout. Kara isn't worried. One man can't do much against her and her friends.

J'onn takes command from here. He orders Winn to get his hands on any plans of the area he can find, and asks Alex and Kara to go and rest in one of the dorms the DEO has built in one of their underground levels. James is soon on his way; his company needing its acting CEO. Lena, though not ordered to do anything—J'onn wouldn't dare—decides to follow Kara down to the dorms. If Alex is still a bit wary of her presence, Kara is ecstatic. She really doesn't want Lena out of her sight.

It still startles her when Lena suddenly disappears at her side, but a few seconds later, Kara feels a hand on her elbow and she wonders if Lena has guessed how uncomfortable Kara is when she can't see her. They follow her sister out, leaving Winn and J'onn to organize the technical details of the assault that will most likely happen within the next twenty-four hours.

* * *

Kara plops herself down on one of the four beds in the room they elect. She watches as Lena appears before her eyes.

"This is so surreal," she comments.

"I know, right? I freaked out the first time I used the ring in front of a mirror," Lena tells her.

Alex rolls her eyes and pulls out her phone, no doubt to call Maggie.

"I'll be out there if you need me," she says before she leaves the room and closes the door behind herself.

Kara shrugs and sits up as Lena takes place beside her.

"What happens after we catch Lex," Kara asks.

"I'm not sure. I suppose I'll have to come clean to the rest of the world. Show my face out there, maybe call for a press conference."

Neither woman speaks for a long time after that, both thinking of the repercussions Lena's deception will have on her image and career.

"I could always disappear to the Bahamas or Bali," Lena quips after a while.

"No way," Kara replies, nudging her with her elbow. "Not unless you take me with you. Supergirl needs a vacation."

"Deal. I'd love to have you."

Their eyes meet, then, and Kara blushes furiously. Lena laughs.

"I mean, I'd love to have you with me," she amends.

"Right. Yes. That's—I understood what you meant."

It's funny, Kara thinks, that despite wearing Supergirl's outfit, being around Lena makes it hard to be anything but Kara Danvers. There's something about the other woman that flusters her and if Kara has always forbidden herself from thinking about what that something is exactly, it is much harder to resist doing so now. Because now, she knows how it feels to live without Lena, to _lose_ her, and she realizes it's foolish to run away from whatever emotions Lena provokes in her.

"Kara?"

"Uh? What? Sorry, I was…"

"Lost in thoughts? I noticed," Lena teases with a smile.

"Yes, sorry. What were you saying?"

"Nothing important, don't worry."

"No, please, tell me."

"I was just… if I have to tell everyone that I didn't actually die in the explosion, I was wondering if I could have Supergirl's public support?"

"Of course. I'll even stand by you on stage if you want to make a grand entrance," Kara promises.

"Well, I haven't yet decided how I'm going to pull that off, but thank you."

Their little moment is interrupted by a knock on the door and Alex pokes her head in.

"Hey. I'm going back up to find a sparring partner. Can I leave you two alone here?"

"I won't murder Supergirl, if that's what you're afraid of, agent Danvers," Lena replies coolly.

"No, that's not—sorry. I wasn't trying to imply anything like that, miss Luthor."

"Besides, I'm sure she could have me easily pinned to that bed in case I tried anything funny," Lena continues, a smirk appearing on her face.

Both Danvers sisters look at her; Alex, horrified, and Kara, dumbstruck. Lena laughs at them and shakes her head.

"Oh come on! I was joking!"

"Right," Alex says.

She exits the room without another word, and Lena turns to look at Kara, who is trying hard to avoid her gaze. Gently, she puts a hand on Kara's shoulder.

"I'm sorry if my silly sense of humor makes you uncomfortable, Kara. I promise I'll stop."

"No, don't," Kara tells her. "I'm just easily flustered but I don't mind, really. I get that it's tempting to make fun of me because of it."

"It is; I won't lie. But if it bothers you or upsets you, I'm done with those jokes."

"It's fine, Lena. Really. Besides," she adds as she finally works up the courage to look at Lena, "it's not like your joke isn't rooted in truth. I _could_ easily pin you to that bed if I wanted."

The bark of laughter that Lena lets out is absolutely undignified and it makes Kara smile so wide that her cheeks hurt.

"Well, look at that! Seems like you can give as good as you get, after all," Lena exclaims.

With all the confidence in the world, Kara grins and raises an eyebrow.

"You have no idea, miss Luthor."

And if Lena's eyes flicker to her lips for a fraction of second, Kara tries not to think too much of it.


	11. Chapter 11

"Tell me about Krypton," Lena asks after a long silence.

They're now sitting opposite each other, on two different beds, leaning against the walls with their feet dangling in the air. Kara looks at Lena then, and she sees the woman's genuine interest in her eyes. Thinking about Krypton is always a double-edged sword for Kara. The memories make her both happy and sad; nostalgia an inevitable consequence of allowing herself to remember. But Lena wants to know and Kara finds herself telling stories of her planet, of her childhood there and of her family.

Lena's smile is soft and her eyes never leave Kara's face as Kara goes on and on about every aspect of life on Krypton. Sometimes, Lena asks a question and Kara tries to give her thorough answers, to the best of her knowledge. She likes this; sharing with Lena. It's easy.

* * *

Lena falls asleep to the sound of her voice, about an hour later. Kara watches her carefully, notices the slight frown on her face and floats to the bed Lena's on to touch her arm gently. Lena stirs but doesn't wake up and Kara finds herself trapped when Lena's hand finds the one she's placed on her arm and keeps it there. Kara hesitates; it's not like she couldn't get her hand back if she wanted, it's that she doesn't mind being close to Lena. Especially when she notices that the frown on her beautiful face has disappeared.

She ends up staying close, sitting next to the sleeping Luthor and listening to the sound of her heart, beating strong in her chest.

* * *

That's how Alex finds them about half an hour later. She opens the door after a soft knock and contemplates the scene before her eyes quietly. She takes in the way her sister looks at Lena, she sees their hands entwined. Kara knows Alex, she knows Alex will tease her mercilessly about this later, but she doesn't care. She's grateful that her sister says nothing at the moment.

"You need to wake her up," Alex murmurs.

"What's up?"

"We're ready to move."

Kara nods and turns back to look at Lena. Alex takes this as her cue to leave. As gently as possible, Kara shakes Lena's shoulder and calls her name until the brunette brings a hand to her temple and rubs there for a few seconds, before opening her eyes.

"Kara?"

"Sorry to wake you up."

"No, that's alright, what's wrong?"

If Lena notices that their hands are still entwined, she doesn't show it.

"Nothing's wrong, but we need to go up. They're ready to go after Lex."

"Oh."

Kara doesn't miss the way Lena's jaw clenches, or how the spark in her eyes seems to dull a little. She squeezes her hand in quiet support and they get up without another word. When Lena turns invisible, she keeps her little finger hooked to Kara's, and together they walk through the DEO to join the others in the same room as earlier.

* * *

Lena warns them that Lex won't be taken alive. She tells them that he'd blow up the whole bunker before allowing DEO agents to take him back to his cell. Kara understands the point she wants to make. The more people they bring with them, the more casualties should Lex decide to commit suicide-by-cops. It does nothing to reassure Winn who keeps fidgeting at J'onn's side. He might not be going into the field like the rest of them but he's still a part of the team. Sometimes, Kara wonders if he resents them for that, if he ever feels like less because he doesn't wear a costume or tactical gear. She hopes he doesn't.

Alex has called Superman, she announces. He will be joining them in Nevada. At Kara's scowl, she stands her ground and affirms that they will need him and that he would want to be there. Lena remains silent; lips pursed and eyes downcast. Kara knows Lena holds no grudge against her cousin but there must be nagging thoughts in the back of her mind that still think of him as responsible for Lex's spiral into darkness. Kara lets her fingers brush against Lena's and she feels relieved when Lena's fingertips graze at her palm. Lena's not upset.

* * *

After listening to Lena's advice, J'onn agrees that the tactical unit will stay back and secure the two-mile area around the bunker. They will be in permanent contact with the DEO and if back-up is needed, the team will intervene.

James and Mon-El arrive exactly at the same time Lena's hands fly to her temples and she winces. Kara frowns and immediately asks her what's wrong, while everyone else is distracted by Guardian's and Mon-El's arrivals and hurries to brief them on the situation.

"Lena?"

"Nothing's wrong; I'm good."

"That didn't look good," Kara points out.

"I'm fine, Kara, really," Lena repeats stubbornly, "but we need to hurry up. Lex must be sensing that we're coming for him because he sounds upset."

That gets the attention of the others.

"Alright, let's go," J'onn declares. "We'll work in tandem. Guardian and Mon-El, Alex and Supergirl, and I'll be on my own until Superman joins us."

"I'm coming with you," Lena intervenes immediately.

"No way," Kara fires back just as quickly.

"He's my brother. I'm the one who can read his mind."

"J'onn can do that as well if he gets close enough."

"That's not the same and you know it."

"Lena."

"Kara."

The two of them begin a staring contest, chins up and arms crossed. Everyone else in the room fades away, and it's only after Alex awkwardly clears her throat—loudly—that Kara yields.

"Fine," she huffs as she stomps her foot, "you can come, but you better stay invisible."

"I was planning on it," Lena replies coldly, not one for being micromanaged.

"Then Alex, with me, miss Luthor with Supergirl," J'onn orders as he turns to leave the room.

"I swear you two argue like a married couple," Alex mutters as she walks past Kara and follows the others outside of the room.

Left alone with Lena, Kara closes the door behind her friends and leans against it. Lena doesn't budge and her stubbornness makes Kara sigh deeply.

"I wish you'd stay here," she admits, avoiding Lena's impenetrable gaze.

"I can't."

"It's going to be dangerous out there."

"All the more reason I should come."

"What if something happens to you," Kara protests as she takes a step closer to Lena.

"What if something happens to _you_ ," Lena retorts.

"I can handle myself."

"So can I."

Despite the urgency and gravity of the situation, Kara can't help but smile. Lena is as hard-headed as she is. She inches closer still, until she stands barely a foot from Lena.

"Lena… Things might get ugly there. If Lex doesn't surrender…"

She trails off and looks away, but Lena surprises her once more by closing the distance between them and offering a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"I know. You do what you have to do, Kara."

Kara prays to Rao that they both make it out alive.

* * *

The jet is not quite as fast as Kara—far from it, actually—but J'onn insists that she flies with them so that she doesn't waste her strength on their way to Nevada. Supergirl doesn't protest, especially since Lena is on that jet, too. She wears a bulletproof vest because Kara's been adamant about it and Lena's decided to indulge her.

Alex spends the flight cleaning her guns, claiming that it grounds her and helps her focus. J'onn chooses meditation to achieve the same purpose. James is on the comm line with Winn as they go over his latest gadgets paired with the Guardian suit. Mon-El is stretching in a corner of the jet, warming his muscles. Kara is grateful that he's here but also worried. Mon-El isn't bulletproof like her, and this is not his fight. But he shoots her a smile and winks, and Kara thinks more muscle can't possibly be a bad thing. She reflects back on their brief time together and feels comfort in knowing that their mutual decision to be friends instead was the right one. Mon-El has so much to explore in this world, and Kara…

Kara wants something else entirely.

Her eyes linger on Lena, who's looking at the clouds outside. Her breath catches in her throat when she sees the way the light reflects in Lena's eyes. It makes her look almost angelic. Ethereal. Kara's fingers twitch. She feels like snapping a photo of her, or drawing her. She settles for burning the memory into her mind.

Lena must feel that someone is watching her because she turns her head and meets Kara's eyes. She offers a small smile and Kara knows, right there and then, that she's a goner.

And when she sees the blush on Lena's cheeks, Kara can't help but think that maybe—just _maybe_ —her feelings are not one-sided.


	12. Chapter 12

The jet lands in a remote area, soon followed by the jet of the tactical team that has followed them to the neighboring state. Alex frowns, annoyed at a message she's apparently just received and Kara looks at her questioningly.

"Superman is being delayed," her sister explains.

"Then we'll go without him," J'onn decides.

Lena has mentioned the railroad a couple of miles away, and she's given Winn enough details so that he could use satellite images to pinpoint the likeliest location of the bunker. Kara loses no time in grabbing her sister and Lena, and she flies them there. J'onn follows suit, an arm around Guardian and the other around Mon-El. Together they stand, looking around to try and spot the entrance of the bunker. The silence is eerie in the desert, oppressive. She doesn't like it.

Kara's right arm doesn't let go of Lena's waist and she ignores Mon-El's amused look. She knows it must look weird that her arm is basically hugging nothing, because Lena's invisible, but she needs to feel the other woman close to her. She has a bad feeling about what's going to happen in the next hour or so.

In the end, it's Lena who moves away from her and Kara tries to quell her apprehension. Nothing can happen to Lena if Lex doesn't see her, and the battery of the ring is full thanks to the solar lamp they've brought on the jet. She needs to focus.

Kara closes her eyes and takes a deep breath.

She hopes nothing will go wrong.

* * *

In their search for the entrance of the bunker, which mostly consists in kicking at tumbleweeds and rocks, Kara comes face to face with a camera. It's staring at her, from below, mocking her for not anticipating this.

She tells the others right away, tells them they should expect a welcoming committee. Guardian finds another camera and smashes it.

"Kara, we need to find the entrance _now_ , before he gets more time to gather weapons."

"I know," she replies.

Concentrating, she uses her x-ray vision to scan their surroundings and finally finds what they're looking for.

"Over here," she calls.

"He's alone," Lena says, somewhere on her left.

"Let's go," J'onn nods.

"The place is huge," Kara describes as she takes in the space below.

There are several corridors and rooms, and Kara can't spot Lex in any of them.

"I'm not sure he's here," she says.

"He is. He knows we're here. He's hiding," Lena explains.

"Then you need to kick down that door," Alex tells Kara, her gun already drawn.

Kara looks at J'onn for confirmation and he nods. It's time.

* * *

Everything goes wrong.

The bunker is booby-trapped, much like the island Lillian had sent them to. As soon as Kara takes the trapdoor and tears it off, there's an explosion that sends them all flying backwards. Kara is soon on her feet and looks around frantically until she feels a hand on her shoulder.

"Breathe, Kara," a voice whispers in her ear.

It makes Kara shiver.

"Stay behind me," she whispers back, hoping Lena will obey.

J'onn leads the way inside, followed closely by Alex. Down the ladder, the corridor is split in three directions. With one gesture of the hand, he sends Guardian and Mon-El to the left while he and Alex take the right. Kara is left alone and heads straight ahead. She wonders where Lena has gone and if she's still following her or if she's opted to go in another direction.

It's barely a minute before Kara hears a cry coming from her left. She freezes, and suddenly every light is out. Her x-ray vision is her favorite power right now, and through walls she can see two figures struggling on the floor.

"Shit," she says under her breath.

* * *

There's blood. Kara doesn't need light to see it. She smells it. In the dark, she lets herself be guided by the grunts and groans she hears. Her hands find James' helmet first and she grabs him and pulls him away.

"What's going on," she asks him, panicked.

"There were traps," he gasps, "in the walls. Arrows. I think we crossed a motion sensor or something? I—Shit. Mon-El?"

"Right here," the Daxamite lets out in a hiss.

Both of them are hurt; small arrows and knives embedded in their legs and thighs. Mon-El seems to be bleeding a lot; his lack of body armor a weakness Guardian doesn't have.

"Can you still stand?"

"I can, I don't think they've reached far into my skin. I might just be bleeding a bit," James replies truthfully.

"Take Mon-El back out. Get out of here."

"Supergirl, no—"

"You're no use to me if you're dead. Mon-El needs medical help. Our comm line isn't working."

She's just noticed that, and it does nothing to reassure her.

"I need you to carry him out and then get him to the unit so he can receive medical attention right away," she orders.

James doesn't argue and he hoists himself up with difficulty. He waits a second to steady himself and then reaches down to grab Mon-El and help him stand. The Daxamite collapses against the wall; his legs unable to support him.

"Supergirl, I don't think I can carry him up the ladder," Guardian admits.

"I'll do it, but then you get the hell out of here as fast as you can."

Mon-El hisses when Kara sweeps him off his feet. Through the sleeves of her costume, she can feel the dampness of blood and she hopes her friend won't bleed out before he can be patched up. She rushes out, knowing Guardian can find his way back on his own.

Once they're in the daylight again, she sees the small rods of metal stuck in Mon-El's body and she winces. It looks painful and Mon-El's already very pale. To her relief, the comm line seems to be back on and she requests a medical team to come and meet James halfway. He emerges behind her, and she can't see his expression but Kara guesses he is pissed. At himself and at Lex.

"I'll get him," she promises as she lets him take Mon-El from her arms.

"Be careful," he says before he walks away as fast as he can.

Kara loses no time in heading back inside.

* * *

She doesn't know if Lena is here with her. Her x-ray vision is thwarted by the invisibility ring, and Kara thinks it would be too risky to call out her name so she keeps quiet, but the sinking feeling in her gut tells her Lena's wandered off on her own and she prays she can get to Lex before her.

The bunker is bigger than any of them had expected and Kara wanders through the corridors that seem to lead nowhere in particular. Most doors are locked and it's only thanks to her superpowers that she knows where to go. The comm line is down again, has been since she re-entered the bunker, and it makes Kara's heart beat faster. She has no way to contact Alex and J'onn, no way to reach Lena either or their tactical team waiting a couple of miles away.

She walks cautiously in the dark and soon enough, the lights are back on and she wonders if Lex decided that or if someone else got to the circuit breaker. _Lena_ , her gut tells her. Barely a minute later, gunshots ring out and Kara freezes.

 _No_ , she thinks, _please no_.

* * *

Everything is a mess.

"He ran this way," Alex points at the corridor on her right with the arm that's not currently holding her thigh.

Kara hesitates; her sister is bleeding on the ground and J'onn took a bullet as well though she's not as worried for him.

"Go," Alex orders her through gritted teeth. "I'm okay, just go get him!"

"Where the hell is Superman," J'onn mutters under his breath but Kara hears him anyway.

"Get Alex out of here; she's too vulnerable to stay. I'm going after Lex," Kara says, her voice allowing no protest.

In a heartbeat, she's gone, rushing to catch up with Lex Luthor.

* * *

When she finds him, he is standing in the middle of an empty room save for the many paintings on the walls, and multiple screens that Kara realizes are showing the surveillance feeds from the cameras outside. On the control panel, she sees a gun, but Lex makes no move to grab it. His back is turned, and Kara approaches him silently, slowly.

"At last we meet, Supergirl."

Lex startles her. Kara didn't think he'd notice she was here. She stands a bit taller, fists pressed on her hips and chin up.

"Mister Luthor."

"Oh please," Lex says as he turns to face her, "that's my father. Call me Lex."

He smiles at her— _smiles_ —and Kara knows she's missed something here. Because he isn't afraid, he doesn't look perturbed and he should be, because she's here to send him back to prison (or kill him, she hasn't decided yet.) But then she thinks of Lena, and of how Lena can seem absolutely unfazed by everything even when she's upset. She remembers Winn telling her that the Luthors are good actors and she wonders if this is it, if this is the Lex show. Something tells her it isn't.

"I'm surprised to see you, I admit," Lex continues. "I expected your cousin to be the one to find me. I was almost looking forward to it."

She sees a bit of Lena in the way he carries himself, proud and unwavering. She shakes the thought away. Lex is nothing like his sister.

"Superman has better things to do than waste more of his time on you," she spits out.

"So he lets his cousin, a mere _girl_ , come after me?"

His smile turns into a rictus. A shame, Kara thinks, because Lex was certainly once a handsome man but the hatred and anger that have consumed him over the years have taken a toll on his features. Lex's short hair and beard are unexpected. In all the pictures she's seen of him, he was always clean shaven. There was no delirious glint in his eyes either; the sign of a madman that Kara has learned to recognize over the last couple of years. She's dealt with far too many to count.

"I'm not a girl," she points out.

"Not quite," he concedes. "With those powers of yours, you're a _super_ girl."

Kara has a bad feeling.

"But what are you without them?"

She knows she's doomed the moment she sees him press on a button on the operation panel behind him. Too surprised to stop him, Kara doesn't react. There's a loud noise at the door and Kara's head whips just in time to see a wall of steel erect from the ground. Barely two seconds later, Lex activates something else on the panel and the room starts to glow a faint green. Kara feels sick. She should have known better. Now she's stuck in a room with a madman and her strength is fading fast.

"Kryptonite," she manages to say.

"Yes," Lex confirms as he takes a step closer.

Kara feels powerless and she sinks to her knees as her legs start trembling too much to hold her up. Lex, very much like a shark, walks in circles around her, studying her. The gun is still on the control panel and Kara wishes she could just get up and run to it.

"You were Lena's friend, yes?"

She's not sure where he's going with that, but since he knows, she sees no point in denying it.

"I was," she says, "before you killed her."

He pauses for a second and Kara's eyes flicker to his face where she detects a hint of sadness. He resumes his walking when he realizes Kara is staring.

"Yes, well, dear sister should have known better than to go up against me."

Kara wonders about Lena, if she's still in the bunker or if she got out, if she knows Kara is in trouble and if she's alerted the tactical team.

"I wonder how you must have felt when she died," Lex muses out loud. "Were you sad, Supergirl? Did you wish you could have saved her?"

It's a taunt, clearly, and Kara refuses to take the bait. She tries to focus through the pain the kryptonite is causing her and she hopes that the DEO will be here soon. She just needs to hold on. Lex stops in front of the screens; his back to Kara once more.

"Well well well, look who's finally decided to join us," he exclaims, delighted.

On one of the surveillance feeds, Kara recognizes a man. She recognizes the cape. Kal-El.

"Is that what you were waiting for," Kara asks, hoping to create a diversion to give her cousin the time to find her.

"Oh yes, it was," Lex explains. "I really wanted him to listen as I choke the life out of you, Supergirl. Shall we get to it?"

He stands menacingly above her, and Kara's survival instincts take over. With a leg, she kicks Lex in the knees and makes him stumble backwards. But she's underestimated the kryptonite and the effort of the kick alone drains her of her strength even more quickly. She knows she's in no condition to fight. Lex knows, too, because he smirks at her and steps closer again.

Kara hears muffled shouts outside the room and then there's banging on the steel that separates her from her cousin. She hears her name, over and over. She hears the threats Superman throws at Lex and she wishes she could just see him one last time.

"I'm afraid your cousin won't make it in time. The steel is laced with kryptonite so his punches are quite useless. He'll tire himself out but in the end he'll still be unable to save you. You're collateral damage, really. It's nothing personal."

Kara wants to reply, if only to tell him to go to hell, but suddenly Lex drops to his knees and brings his hands to her neck, squeezing and effectively cutting her air supply. Kara's fingers claw at his face, wrap around his wrists and try to pull him away but to no avail. Without her powers and surrounded by kryptonite, she's weak, too weak to fight a grown man. Lex is full of rage; she can read it in his eyes when she looks into them. She wonders what hers convey. Fear, probably.

"Kal-El," she croaks.

Outside, the blows on the wall double and she thinks she hears him shout her name, but she could also just be hallucinating. The lack of oxygen is starting to get to her brain. She hopes Alex and Mon-El are okay. She finds a little comfort in the knowledge that Lex will be killed as soon as he steps out of this room, or as soon as Superman and the DEO breach in. Her thoughts go to Lena and how she will be able to reclaim the life Lex has stolen from her once he's dead.

Her eyes, desperate and alarmed, find the control panel and the surveillance feeds where she sees the tactical team rushing in. _Too late_ , she thinks. Too late.

And then a firearm goes off, close to her.

And Kara breathes again.

* * *

The oxygen rushes into her lungs and she coughs as she tries to take deep breaths. Next to her, Lex Luthor presses both hands to his stomach where blood is rapidly escaping. He looks terrified. Kara crawls away from him, still reeling. How?

One glance at the control panel provides her with the answer. The gun isn't there anymore. Kara looks around and realization dawns on her.

"Lena," she whispers.

As if summoned, Lena suddenly materializes. She stands next to Lex, towering over him. Kara watches as his eyes grow wide and his breaths more shallow. He blinks hard, twice, as if to dispel the image in front of him. But Lena remains, because she's real, she's flesh and blood and Kara feels relief coursing through her veins. Distantly, she hears cries from outside; everyone no doubt in panic after the gunshot.

"I'm okay," she says softly, well-aware that Kal-El will hear her.

Her eyes don't leave Lena's face. Lena seems impassible as she kneels down next to Lex and slides the gun far away from both of them and in Kara's direction. Kara can't get a read on her. She remains silent and tries to make herself as tiny as possible in that room.

"How," Lex manages to say, blood appearing at the corner of his mouth.

Lena simply lifts a hand in response, showing him the ring. Lex lets out a sound that is somewhere between a laugh and a groan. A lone tear escape Lena's eyes and she makes no move to wipe it off. She stares at her brother, whom Kara knows is dying. Her heart aches at the sight, despite Lex's very recent efforts to kill her. She simply wishes Lena didn't have to witness this.

"Y—you got me… sis…"

"I'm sorry," Lena apologizes.

Of all the things Lena could have said… Kara didn't expect that.

"S'okay," Lex slurs. "Sibling rivalry."

The joke makes Lena smile a watery smile. Her hands, so pale, find Lex's and she places them softly on his. He squeezes them, as hard as his fading strength allows him to. Brother and sister look into each other's eyes silently for another twenty seconds or so, and Kara sees the remorse on his face. She doesn't see a monster, but a broken man wracked with guilt. She imagines it's only for his actions toward Lena but still. Lex smiles at his sister.

Kara doesn't need her powers to know the exact moment Lex's heart stops beating. His grip on Lena's hands loosens and his head rests on the floor, eyes unfocused. She knows he's gone.

Over his body, Lena's eyes find Kara's.


	13. Chapter 13

Shakily, Lena stands. Kara's gaze drifts to her hands, covered in blood. Her brother's blood. Lena doesn't seem to notice, or she doesn't care. She walks over to the control panel and presses on a button. Immediately, the green glow of the room disappears and Kara feels a surge of power coming from deep within her. She knows she won't be at full strength until she gets out of the bunker, but she already feels much better.

She gets up, a bit clumsily, and slowly closes the distance between her and Lena. Lena hasn't moved, perhaps unable to face her dead brother lying on the ground. She waits until Kara stands behind her before she speaks.

"I'm sorry. For taking so long to shoot him. I followed you here but…"

She trails off and Kara puts a hand on her shoulder.

"It's okay. You don't have to explain."

"I was paralyzed. Seeing him again, like this… It was harder than I expected."

"I understand, Lena. I'm not judging you."

"When the lights went out, I was right next to the room where the circuit breaker is. I heard him move so I waited until I was sure he was gone, then I turned them back on. There were gunshots."

"Alex got shot. She's okay though."

Lena nods feebly, and she turns slightly on her heels so that she can see Kara from the corner of her eyes but not Lex's body.

"I grabbed the gun when I could, but I froze. I'm so sorry."

"Don't—"

"He was about to kill you, Kara. I should have shot him sooner."

It's wrong, Kara thinks, that Lena blames herself so much when she's just saved her life.

"Please," she says, "don't do this. I'm fine. The bruises on my neck will fade in no time; you know that."

The pounding on the wall is relentless and Kara sighs, knowing that she can't be alone with Lena right now, not with everyone outside worried for their safety. Reluctantly, she brushes past Lena and pushes the button Lex had. The wall lowers immediately, and Kara barely has time to turn around before a strong pair of arms engulfs her in a tight hug.

"Kara! Oh Kara, I was so scared!"

Kal-El is frantic; he looks at her with his hands on her cheeks, and then hugs her again. Kara lets him, hugs back a little. She still doesn't feel like herself, and Lena's still standing there, looking anywhere but at the dead man on the floor, a few feet away. Kara's heart breaks for her.

The DEO agents swarm the place, guns drawn but holstered quickly once they clear the room. Kara does her best to tune them out. Superman finally seems to realize who's standing next to them and his surprise is evident.

"Miss Luthor," he says solemnly.

Kara notices how soft his tone is, as if he is afraid of Lena's reaction, perhaps afraid to have her lash out at him. Lena does none of that. She nods once at him to acknowledge his presence and his words, but doesn't speak. It's easy to imagine that Lena doesn't trust herself to speak right now.

As if on autopilot, Kara takes Lena's hand in hers and slowly but determinedly drags her out of the room, away from Lex, from the blood and the smell of death. Lena lets her, offers no resistance. Clark doesn't follow. He seems to understand. Right before they disappear in the hallway, Kara sees him approaching Lex's body and she knows Clark needs to confront his demons—his _demon_ —one last time. The DEO agents all step away when Superman stands at Lex's side, looking down at him.

Then they're alone; it's just the two of them and Kara sees the way Lena stares at her bloody hands, shaking slightly. She pulls her into a hug, because what else can she do? Is there anything she can say? Kara doesn't think so.

She tugs Lena closer, until their bodies press together, and she wraps her arms around her and squeezes as hard as she can without hurting her. For a moment, Lena stands frozen and Kara wonders if she's overstepping and if Lena needs space rather than a hug. But then Lena places her hands on Kara's back, on her red cape. It's a tentative touch, as if she's not sure she should, and Kara strokes Lena's own back to let her know it's okay. Only then does Lena allow herself to fully sink into the embrace.

* * *

When they emerge out of the bunker a dozen of minutes later, Kara's fingers are firmly entwined with Lena and she stares down any DEO agent looking at them a bit too long. They don't seem surprised to see Lena, merely curious, and Kara deduces that they must have been briefed by J'onn on their way to the rescue. She doesn't want to think too much ahead, to think about what awaits them—Lena—now that Lex is dead.

Lena stays by her side while Kara checks on Alex, who's barking out orders even from her stretcher.

"I'm fine," Alex says immediately. "How are you two?"

She makes a point to look at both her sister and Lena when she asks, and Kara wants to hug her for being so considerate.

"We're… okay. Alive."

Alex's phone vibrates in her hand and Kara has enough time to see that it's Maggie calling, so she kisses her sister on the cheek and pulls Lena away, now searching for Mon-El. They find James instead, whose suit is now off. He is on a stretcher too, but sitting on it and there are bandages around his legs.

"James," Kara breathes in relief.

He looks somber and a feeling of dread creeps up on Kara.

"Mon-El?"

"They had a chopper come and get him. He's lost a lot of blood. I don't know any more than that."

"Hey. It's not your fault, Jimmy."

"I was ahead of him. I'm the one who crossed the motion sensor first."

Kara can't find anything else to say, so she offers a comforting hand on his shoulder and waits until he places his own on top of hers. When Kara looks back, Lena has wandered off on her own, a few feet away.

"How is she," James asks.

"Not good. I'm not sure. She saved my life, but at what cost for her?"

"Go," James nudges her in Lena's direction. "She needs you more than I do."

She shoots him a thankful smile and joins Lena, who is looking at the endless desert in front of her.

"Lex taught me how to shoot a gun," Lena utters; her voice raspy but hollow. "He made sure I was a good shot. Said the Luthors had a lot of enemies and he wanted me to be able to defend myself. How ironic."

Tragic is the word that comes to Kara's mind, but she remains quiet.

"What will Lillian think of it; I wonder," Lena muses. "Maybe I'll have her to worry about now. Maybe she'll succeed where Lex failed."

"Don't say that," Kara protests immediately. "Nothing's going to happen to you."

Lena bites back a scathing remark and she does a poor job at hiding it because Kara notices. Kara notices everything about her. She understands why, now. After everything that's happened to them; Kara understands her feelings for the other woman.

"Kara," a voice calls softly from behind them.

She looks over her shoulder at J'onn.

"We're heading back to the jets. There are Jeeps to drive us there."

"Alright. We'll be right there. Just… give us a minute."

He nods wisely and walks away without another word. Lena finally decides to face Kara and she sighs tiredly.

"Let's go then," she says.

"We don't have to ride with them. I can fly us to the jet. If… I mean if you want to be alone for a little while."

Lena is silent, considering Kara's offer. She looks exhausted and more fragile than Kara's ever seen her. She wishes she could just take the pain away. An idea forms in her mind and she hopes Lena will agree to it.

"Or I could take us anywhere you want. We'll give our statements later; the DEO will wait for us. If you want to go home…"

Lena doesn't look thrilled at the suggestion.

"… or anywhere else, really. I can fly you there."

To her surprise, it's Lena who initiates a hug this time. She throws herself in Kara's arms and holds her so tightly that Kara thinks she'd bruise if she were human.

"Please take me away," Lena whispers against her collarbone.

Kara still doesn't know where exactly but she strokes Lena's hair gently and murmurs her approbation in her ear. She secures her arms around Lena's waist and takes off in the air. She flies slowly over J'onn until he looks up and, with a hand gesture, he signals his understanding.

Kara flies as fast as she can with a human in her arms.

* * *

When their feet touch the ground, Lena looks around her and then back at Kara, surprised.

"You took us to your apartment?"

"Hum, yeah. I couldn't really think of another place on the spot so… I figured we could get some rest and then… decide. Also, we should probably shower. I mean—I don't mean we should it together, of course, I—you know what I mean."

"Yes, Kara, I know."

Lena's voice is soft but devoid of the kind of teasing she's recently decided to do to make Kara blush. Kara, for once, _wishes_ Lena would make fun of her.

"So… you know where the bathroom is. I'll get you some clothes you can change into."

"Thank you."

* * *

Lena's in the bathroom for a long time, and it takes all of Kara's willpower to not listen in, because she's pretty sure that Lena is crying and she wants to give her some privacy for that. Instead, she focuses on her Supergirl outfit, which she took off to clean. There are spatters of blood on it; Lex's blood. Kara scrubs and scrubs until she's satisfied that she got all of it.

After that, she prepares some healthy snacks for Lena, hoping that the other woman will eat but knowing it's a long shot. Who would be able to eat after such a traumatic event?

Lena emerges from the bathroom a few minutes later in the clothes Kara's provided her with. Her hair is wet and her eyes are red from the crying and Kara knows better than to point it out. Her eyes skim briefly over Lena who is wearing sweatpants and a hoodie with kittens sewn on it. If it wasn't for the tragic events of earlier; Kara would tell her she looks cute.

Instead, she gestures awkwardly toward the kitchen table.

"In case you want to eat something. Hum, I'm going to… I'm going to take a shower now. You can switch on the TV or—or… maybe you want to lie down? So there's either the couch or my bed. You've been in my bed before; you remember where it is…"

She stops herself when she realizes she's rambling. Lena offers her a small smile, arms hugging her own body.

"Right. Well, I won't be long," Kara says as she walks past Lena and heads toward the bathroom.

"Thank you, Kara," Lena mutters, knowing that Supergirl will hear her.

"You're welcome."

* * *

Lena is watching the news when Kara leaves the bathroom about fifteen minutes later. She's biting her bottom lip nervously and Kara approaches her carefully before sitting next to her on the couch. She knows what Lena is expecting to see, but she also knows that it is a waste of her time.

"The DEO won't tell anyone about Lex before tomorrow. Maybe the FBI."

"They'll be looking for me."

"Probably," Kara admits.

Gently, she pries the remote from Lena's hand and turns off the TV. Lena doesn't protest but she sighs tiredly.

"We can sleep," Kara suggests. "We should rest, at least."

"I doubt I'll be able to sleep."

It doesn't surprise Kara in the least. After the explosion at L-Corp, sleep had eluded her as well, for a long time. The thought of having been unable to save those people and to protect Lena from her brother had eaten away at her until she'd exploded and almost killed a man. She remembers it all too well.

"Come. Lie with me anyway," she says as she gets up and extends her hand.

Lena looks at it for a couple of seconds then takes it and lets herself be led to the bedroom. She slips under the sheet and blanket and, once Kara has done the same, she scoots closer to her. Then she stops herself, and looks up at Kara with a question in her eyes. Kara understands; she also understands that Lena's pride won't allow her to ask what she wants so Kara beats her to it.

"You know, I'm kind of a koala in my sleep. So uh, I'll probably end up snoring in your ear; sorry about that. But it's been a rough day and I'm feeling drowsy."

"Are you going somewhere with that," Lena cuts her off, no bite in her tone but perhaps a tinge of amusement.

"Can we cuddle," Kara blurts out.

 _Great, not smooth at all, just great_ , she mentally slaps herself. But it was the point she was trying to reach and she knows that's what Lena was afraid to ask so she doesn't feel too bad about her bluntness. Lena doesn't give her a verbal reply. No, she just lies on her side and rests her head on Kara's shoulder, an arm wrapped around Kara's waist. Her nose presses lightly against Kara's neck; a cold touch against warm skin that Kara more than welcomes. She lets her own arm hug Lena, holding her close. It takes a while for Lena to relax; Kara feels it when it happens, when Lena's body sinks fully into her and into the mattress, when she inhales and exhales deeply.

"I'm sorry," Kara breaks the silence.

"You have nothing to be sorry for," is Lena's immediate response.

"I'm sorry you lost your brother," she clarifies.

"I lost him a long time ago. The man I… The man I killed today was a mere shadow of him."

"I know."

In the darkness of the room, talking about this becomes easier.

"I miss him," Lena confesses. "I miss him so much."

Her voice breaks at the end, and Kara's other arm wraps around Lena's back as well.

"Tell me about him," she whispers. "I want to know who he was."

Lena obliges her. She tells Kara about the teddy bear Lex gave her when they met for the first time, about him showing her the family tree and recounting funny stories about everyone on it. She tells Kara about their inside jokes and secrets, about Lex teaching her how to ride a horse during a trip to the family ranch. Kara doesn't interrupt her. She listens attentively, absent-mindedly caressing Lena's hair and back, encouraging her to recall her good memories with her brother. Kara thinks of Alex and of how she'd deal if she were to ever lose her. The thought alone terrifies her.

She hugs Lena more tightly when the Luthor's voice cracks. Kara doesn't acknowledge the wetness she feels on her collarbone, afraid that Lena will pull away if she says anything about her crying. She simply lets the other woman speak, unperturbed by the sobs Lena swallows back.

Lena talks for almost two hours and when she stops, perhaps thinking that Kara has fallen asleep, Kara places a kiss on top of her head.

"He was a good brother," she says simply.

She feels Lena nod against her neck.

* * *

They fall asleep shortly after that, with Kara's arms still holding Lena against her. They don't let go of her through the night, and Kara wakes up several times to make sure Lena is not having a nightmare. She listens to the sound of Lena's heartbeat and lets it lull her back to sleep every time. She whispers soothing words in Lena's ear when the other woman mumbles in her sleep.

If she spends more time watching over Lena than sleeping, Kara doesn't care. Around five in the morning, Lena turns in her arms and Kara follows so that her forehead rests against the back of Lena's head. She wonders if this is how they'd come to cuddling the previous night—which seems like forever ago—and falls back asleep with that thought in her mind.

When she wakes up in the morning, the bed is cold and Lena is gone.


	14. Chapter 14

Kara shoots up from the bed, muttering a string of expletives and she yanks the bedroom door open, only to stop in the doorway. Before her stands Lena, a cup of coffee in one hand and what looks like Kara's cellphone in the other.

"Hey," Lena greets her with a smile. "Coffee?"

"Uh, yeah, sure. Thank you," she replies as she takes the mug from her hand. "I thought—"

"You thought I'd left?"

"Yeah."

"No, I just woke up and heard your phone vibrating so I checked the caller ID and saw it was your sister. I hope you don't mind. I took the call in the living-room and then made some coffee."

"Oh. Not at all. What did Alex want?"

"To know where we were and if we were okay," Lena says as she turns and walks over to the couch where she sits down.

Kara follows her while sipping her coffee. It is stronger than the one she usually makes but she finds that she likes it that way, too.

"I told her we'd be at the DEO later today," Lena continues. "She also said Mon-El will be okay but he's still very weak for now."

"Good. That's good news. What about her; did she say anything?"

"No. I think Detective Sawyer was with her though. Must've spent the night there."

"Oh. Okay."

Kara places the mug on the coffee table and shifts so that she can face Lena, who avoids her gaze.

"How are you feeling," Kara asks with her softest voice.

"I—I don't know. I'm sad but I'm also… relieved. Like a weight's been lifted off my back."

Lena's fingers play with her invisibility ring, and Kara's eyes drift to it.

"Does it still work?"

"It's run out of battery."

"I still have your solar lamp here, if you want. I know it's going to be overwhelming to be out there later, when…"

"When the public hears about Lex, and about me."

"Yes. If you need to disappear for a while…"

"Thank you, Kara. For everything that you've done for me."

"Hey, don't mention it. That's what friends do, right?"

Lena looks at her then, with an indecipherable expression that makes Kara squirm a little.

"Yes," Lena agrees, "I suppose that is what friends do."

* * *

The sun is high in the sky when Lena finally tells Kara that she's ready to face the onslaught of questions that awaits her. Kara asks her several times if she's sure and Lena reassures her that it's fine and that she can handle it. She looks determined and strong, and Kara feels proud of her but also a bit worried. She knows Lena's walls are made of steel and right now, they're all the way up and Kara's afraid she might not be able to talk to the real Lena for a while; afraid she might be confronted to the Luthor in her and not the woman she's grown to love.

But Lena surprises her once more. She sits closer, stands closer, leans in when Kara speaks, lets her fingertips brush against Kara's arm, Kara's hand. She offers soft smiles that make Kara's heart beat faster and, when they're ready to leave the apartment, she hugs Kara tightly around the neck, her chin resting on Kara's shoulder.

Supergirl, now in costume, wraps her arms around Lena and holds her for a minute before she takes off.

* * *

It's Lucy who interrogates Lena about what went down in the bunker and about the day of the explosion. Kara paces nervously at Alex's bedside while Lena is in the interrogation room, and Alex rolls her eyes and has to tell her sister several times to stop it before Kara stands still.

"She'll be fine, Kara. Lena didn't do anything wrong."

"They'll want to know why she hesitated before shooting him."

"It's _Lucy_ , okay? She's on our side."

"Exactly. And she doesn't know Lena, so to her, Lena is just another Luthor."

"Come on. That's not true."

Kara doesn't reply. She _knows_ that's not true; that Lucy will listen to her if need be, but worry gnaws at her nonetheless. She could try to listen in, to hear what's going on in there but maybe Lena is saying things she wouldn't want Kara to know and she just can't intrude like that. So she is left anxiously waiting for the interrogation to be over.

* * *

When Lena follows Lucy out of the interrogation room half an hour later, Kara springs to her feet, having sat down earlier, and rushes out to meet them. She tries her best to not look like a maniac when she reaches them and offers a polite smile at Lucy.

"How did it go," she asks them both.

"I've got everything I need for the deposition," Lucy replies. "Miss Luthor here even agreed to submit herself to the lie detector, and she passed. I'll give a copy of this file to the FBI. They might ask you more questions, both of you, but in the meantime you're absolutely free to go."

"I'd kill for a coffee," Lena admits.

Then, realizing her poor choice of words as Lucy and Kara turn to look at her, she smiles sheepishly and shrugs.

"I don't mean that literally, obviously."

"Right. Well, I'll leave you two to it; I've got plenty on my plate," Lucy says.

"Thanks, Lucy. I'm glad you're here."

"I'll see you around, Kara."

Once Lucy has walked away, Kara shifts her attention back to Lena who is staring at her expectantly.

"So, about that coffee?"

* * *

They end up flying back to Kara's apartment because Lena can't be seen in public yet.

"I want to work on a statement," Lena announces after she's done rinsing her mug and places it on the dish rack.

"A statement?"

"I will be giving a press conference as soon as the FBI clears me and we can come up with a cover story about how I was in witness protection, or something. Lucy Lane suggested it. It's a good idea."

"It… yeah, it is."

"It would need to happen in a couple of days, after they announce… Lex's death."

Lena swallows hard and she looks away from Kara. When she speaks again, her voice doesn't betray her emotion.

"Will you help me? With the statement, I mean."

"Of course. We can do that now, if you want?"

"Yes, okay. We might as well start now."

* * *

Kara wonders several times why Lena even bothered to ask for her help, because it seems that the CEO finds the words easily and she doesn't look up from her piece of paper until she's satisfied with her first draft. She slides it toward Kara so that the blonde can read it and chews nervously on her bottom lip while she waits. Finally, Kara looks up after five minutes and she blinks twice to clear her vision.

"So?"

"Lena… it's pretty much the perfect statement. I, uh, I don't know what to say."

"You're crying," Lena observes as her thumb catches a tear rolling down Kara's cheek.

"It's just… what you wrote. About Lex. About your employees. It's beautiful."

Lena's head ducks and she shrugs.

"They're just words. They won't bring them back."

"Words can be powerful. I think there are a few things to rephrase or modify but overall, this is really good, Lena."

"I want it to be perfect. I _need_ it to be perfect."

"It will be," Kara assures as her hand rests on top of Lena's on the kitchen table. "Let's work on that second draft together, okay?"

Lena nods and changes seats, opting to sit right next to Kara so that they can go on. Their knees brush against each other's under the table and Kara takes a deep breath to help her focus on the task at hand.

* * *

She could swear Lena knows exactly what she's doing to Kara's… feelings. Because Lena alternates between writing, staring at Kara while Kara writes, and touching Kara's thigh. And Kara can feel Lena's eyes studying her, and she can definitely feel the hand on her thigh that somehow _seems_ to slide higher inch by inch but actually _doesn't_. It's driving her crazy.

After a long hour of working on the second draft, Kara drops the pen on the table and leans back in her chair. Lena withdraws the hand that was on her thigh and Kara immediately misses the warmth of it.

"There. Done. I think it's good."

"Good?"

"I think it's perfect," Kara amends.

Lena's smile is blinding and Kara finds herself smiling back just as wide.

"Uh, how about a snack? Are you hungry? We skipped lunch," Kara offers.

"Sounds good."

Kara almost runs to the fridge. The events of today have made her forget about food but her stomach is reminding her rather loudly now. She inspects what's inside the fridge and sighs.

"Hey Lena, what do you feel like eating? Fruits or fruits?"

"Fruits will do just fine," Lena says.

Kara startles at the sound of her voice, much closer than she expected. She slams the fridge shut and turns to face Lena who stands a mere foot from her. The innocent smile on her face is belied by the mischievous glint in her eyes and Kara gulps.

"Well?"

"Well what?"

"The fruits, Kara."

"Right. Yes. They're in the fridge."

"I know that. Aren't you taking them out so we can eat them?"

"I—I am? I mean, I am. Yes."

A hand reaches up to adjust her glasses before she remembers that she hasn't put them on today and she awkwardly drops her hand back to her side. Lena has gotten the reaction she wanted, apparently, because she turns back and goes back to sit at her place, smirk still plastered on her face. Kara hates it.

Kara loves it.

* * *

When the time comes to say goodnight, neither Kara nor Lena acknowledge the fact that they curl up together in Kara's bed, under the covers. It's the third night in a row, and Kara wonders if it's going to become a thing or not. _It could_ , she thinks. But Lena doesn't say a word about it, doesn't crack a joke or tease Kara, so the Kryptonian remains quiet.

Lena's head rests on her shoulder once more and they talk for a while about the movie they've just watched together. Kara hates how easy it would be to get used to this. Of their own accord, her arms close around Lena and hold her tightly against Kara's own body. Lena simply sighs.

"How are you," Kara asks in the darkness of the room.

Lena stiffens immediately and Kara, instinctively, lazily rubs circles on her back.

"I'm fine," Lena replies.

"It's just me, you know? You don't have to pretend around me. I understand what it's like to lose someone you love."

Her words are met with silence as Lena ponders on them. Kara almost thinks she's fallen asleep as the quietness stretches. But Lena moves against her, plays with a lock of Kara's hair and still says nothing.

"I felt like I was drowning, when I first arrived on Earth. I couldn't breathe without it being painful. Part of it was that my lungs needed to get used to the air here, but I know that it was the pain of losing my parents. My whole world. I was all alone in a foreign world, and I just… I felt like I had died with them back on Krypton."

It takes another minute for Lena to lower her walls and start talking. When she does, it's with her nose tickling Kara's neck and her breath hot on Kara's skin.

"I want to live, Kara. But I'm not sure how I'm supposed to do that knowing that I have blood on my hands. The blood of the one person who's ever made me feel like I had a family. He was… Lex was my _person_ , you know? And the blood of the people he killed in that explosion, trying to get to me. They're dead because they were my employees. Jess—I—I don't know how to put this behind me, Kara. I just don't know…"

"You can't take on that burden, Lena. Your employees' deaths are not on you. They're not. And Lex… didn't give you a choice. He was too far gone, Lena. He was out of your reach. You… I believe that by killing him, you showed him mercy. I believe death was the only way he could ever find peace again."

There's a very slim chance that her words will help but Kara doesn't have a clue what she could do to ease Lena's pain. She understands it all too well. But Lena's left hand finds her cheek and strokes it softly.

"Thank you, Kara."

"I meant that, Lena. None of this is your fault. One day you'll find that you can breathe again and your lungs don't burn anymore. The pain will ease with time. I promise."

Lena doesn't say anything more and Kara kisses her forehead tenderly.

"Try to get some sleep."

"You, too," Lena whispers.

Fifteen minutes later, Kara is about to let Morpheus claim her for a few hours when she feels a pair of lips gently press against her neck. When her fingertips venture slightly under Lena's shirt to ghost over her skin, Lena doesn't pull away and Kara pretends she's already asleep.


	15. Chapter 15

Lex's death is on the news the next day. Every channel talks about it. Every headlines—even CatCo's—talk about it. Lena sits still in front of the TV; eyes glued to the screen and hands gripping her knees tightly. Kara, still off from work, tries to offer comforting words but it's like Lena's in a trance and doesn't even hear her. She retreats to her bedroom to call Alex and inquire about her recovery as well as Mon-El's, and when she comes back to the living-room, Lena hasn't budged.

"They say details aren't clear yet on who killed him."

Her voice is monotone, detached but unwavering.

"They think it could be Superman or Supergirl. There's even a poll about it. You're losing."

"Oh."

What else is she supposed to say?

"The truth must never leak," Lena says, "because if it does... Lex's loyal dogs will come after me."

"Then let's say it was me," Kara suggests.

"No. No way. Not you, not Superman. No names."

"I'll call Lucy and see what's happening at the DEO and how they're coordinating with the FBI."

Lena nods and shifts her attention back to the screen. Kara takes that as her cue to call her friend and she decides to do so in her bedroom again.

* * *

There's a fire downtown that is quickly getting out of control, and Kara has no choice but to leave Lena behind and rush to help the firemen. She saves the few people that were stuck inside the building and makes sure the building is steady enough before flying back to her apartment. She's been gone for less than an hour but when she comes back, the TV is turned off and Lena is lying on the couch with her eyes closed.

"Lena," Kara whispers in case the woman is asleep.

"You're back."

"Yeah. Sorry, I smell like smoke, I'm going to shower right away."

Lena sits up and immediately brings both hands to her temples. Kara's at her side within a second.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Lena is prompt to say.

"Doesn't look like nothing. Headache?"

"Yes," Lena admits and she lowers her hands. "I don't suppose Supergirl has any aspirin in her apartment?"

"Supergirl does, actually," Kara replies with a grin as she hurried to find a pill and fill a glass with water. "Because Supergirl has a sister who has a tendency to sleep over when she drinks too much at game night and that results in a headache in the morning."

"Bless her," Lena says as she swallows the pill and takes a gulp of water with it.

Kara decides that the shower can wait a moment and she carefully sits down beside her friend.

"The headache…"

"It's nothing, really. Probably too much TV."

"You're lying," Kara states quietly.

There is no reproach in her tone, no judgement. Lena must sense this, must feel Kara's concern because she sighs and glances at Kara briefly before dropping her gaze to the floor.

"I get them whenever I read someone's mind. They don't last, but they can be pretty intense."

"You were using your power?"

"I was—yes."

"On whom?"

"My mother," Lena breathes out. "I wanted to know if she's heard the news."

"Has she?"

"Yes."

Lena's face is somber and Kara can only imagine the things she must have heard going on in her mother's mind. Tentatively, she puts a hand on Lena's back and rubs slowly. Lena relaxes under her touch and she allows Kara to pull her closer.

"I'm sorry," Kara whispers.

"You really have to stop apologizing," Lena tells her with a soft smile.

"I'm sorry," Kara repeats jokingly.

She grabs Lena's hand in hers when Lena swats her playfully on the thigh. She holds it for a moment then squeezes it and gets up.

"I should really take a shower. It smells like smoke in here."

"Well that's because someone in here is really hot," Lena smirks as she twirls her hair in an exaggerated manner.

"And that someone makes me burn inside," Kara replies without missing a beat.

If Lena wants to tease her, Kara is fine with it but she certainly won't let her get away with it. As predicted, Lena stares after her, dumbstruck, and Kara laughs all the way to the bathroom.

* * *

Lucy calls back when Kara is making dinner for her and Lena, who is reading a book on the couch. Kara stops stirring the pot full of spaghettis and turns the stove off before answering. Lena looks at her, curious and perhaps anxious about what's going to come out of this phone call. Kara mostly listens and only speaks a few words when needed. After two minutes, she hangs up and joins Lena on the couch.

"So, the story is that after the FBI received plausible proof that you were in mortal danger, they got you into witness protection and made you disappear until they could apprehend Lex, which they did, eventually. They let everyone think you were dead because they had reasons to believe it would make Lex less cautious, which it did. They're releasing the statement early in the morning and will stop by tomorrow to brief you about what's going to happen next."

Lena nods feebly and her hands drop the book they were holding onto her lap. Kara nudges her with her knee and holds out a hand.

"Come on, dinner's ready."

Lena looks like she's about to protest but thinks better of it and she lets Kara pull her up and lead her to the kitchen table. Kara, ever so obliging, sets the table for two and places the saucepan on a tablemat between their plates.

"Take as much as you want," Kara says.

"Thank you, Kara. For all of this."

"Ah, don't mention it, it's just pasta."

"I mean for everything you're doing for me."

"I… feel like we've had that conversation before."

"Yes, well, I just can't stress it enough. How grateful I am."

Kara really, really hates how intense Lena's gaze can be, because it takes her breath away every single time and she knows she's falling too hard, too fast. She smiles at Lena and digs into the copious amount of pasta in her plate, preferring to stuff food into her mouth rather than blurt out something she might regret.

* * *

When they go to bed a few hours later, Kara dares to kiss Lena's cheek before she closes her arms around her. Lena, like she did the previous night, lets her nose brush lightly against Kara's warm skin and she doesn't wait fifteen minutes to kiss Kara's neck this time.

* * *

James needs Kara back at CatCo. He calls in the morning around nine and asks her when she'll be able to come back and Kara promises to swing by the next day once Lena has made her first public appearance. James asks her if she thinks the Guardian will be needed to make sure everything goes well and she accepts. She knows he hasn't been back in the field since he got hurt a few days ago and Kara thinks that James needs it, even though he won't outright admit it.

Much like yesterday, she finds Lena in front of the TV. Kara's eyes shift to the screen and she stops in her tracks. Next to the reporter talking live in front of the L-Corp building is a picture of Lena. Kara recognizes it; it is the one that had been on the front page of CatCo Magazine almost a year ago.

"The FBI released their statement then?"

"Yes. Early this morning, apparently. I'm the number one topic of discussion now. There are journalists everywhere at L-Corp."

"Are you okay? I mean, now that the truth is out there? Well, not the _truth_ , but just… the news that you're alive."

"I'm okay, Kara. I needed to do this anyway. The DEO and the FBI have been a great help."

"Right. They have two agents on the way so that you can discuss everything with them. Lucy said that the FBI is expecting you to speak publicly tomorrow at eleven."

"Good. I'm ready."

Lena smiles then, and it's genuine and it's bright and Kara is drawn to that smile. She doesn't even realize she's moved until she stands in front of Lena who is still sat on the couch. With a hand, Kara cups Lena's jaw and lifts her chin up so that they're looking into each other's eyes. Lena's smile drops and there's something in the way she stares at Kara that makes the Kryptonian's heart beat faster.

Kara doesn't really do anything else; she stands there with her hand caressing soft skin absent-mindedly. It's Lena who moves; she turns her head to the side without looking away and she presses her lips against Kara's pulse point on her wrist. Kara watches, enraptured and frozen in place. When Lena's hand comes up to touch Kara's, she finds herself inching closer. She feels Lena's lips against her skin and shivers.

"Lena—I—"

A knock on the door interrupts them and makes Kara almost jump out of her skin. She has half a mind to pulverize whoever is standing behind the door but a quick check with her x-ray vision tells her this would be a terrible idea.

"The FBI," she announces to Lena who seems absolutely unperturbed.

"I'll get the door," Lena says.

"No, let me," Kara replies immediately. "I'd, uh, I'd rather do it. Just in case."

"In case… In case they're not the agents we're expecting?"

"Yes."

Lena chuckles at the face Kara makes and she stands up, right into Kara's personal space.

"Okay then. Go. Don't make the government wait, Kara."

"Right. Yes. I'm going. I'm gone."

She doesn't move. There's a second knock at the door, louder this time. Lena raises an eyebrow and _oh Rao why,_ Kara thinks, because now is not the time to do something like that, something that makes Kara weak in the knees. Her crush is really getting out of control.

In the end, it's Lena who puts her out of her misery—well, _sort of_ —by kissing her cheek and pushing her toward the door until Kara remembers how to use her legs.


	16. Chapter 16

Lena is unusually quiet for the rest of the day. She spends some more time making sure her statement for the next day is as perfect as can be and Kara doesn't dare bother her. She leaves her apartment twice to take care of robbers and a kidnapper, and it's as if Lena doesn't even notice she's gone. Kara feels restless. She orders take-out and Lena barely touches any of the food on the table. She's distant and she constantly worries her bottom lip, and Kara wishes Lena would just talk to her.

Out of respect she hasn't listened to what the FBI agents told Lena, to what Lena told them. Now she wonders if she should have.

"I'm going to check on Alex and Mon-El," Kara says some time after they're done with dinner.

Lena hums in acknowledgement and Kara, in her Supergirl outfit, huffs and leaves without another word.

* * *

"I'm going crazy," Kara announces as she walks into Alex's room at the DEO.

"Well, hello to you too, Supergirl. What brings you here?"

Kara closes the door behind her and sits heavily on the bed.

"How's the leg?"

"It's fine. I'm cleared tomorrow."

"Can you walk?"

"Yeah with crutches. Or with Maggie, she's the same size," Alex jokes.

That gets a grin out of Kara before she sighs again and lets her shoulders sag. Alex grows serious instantly.

"Hey. What's wrong?"

"Lena. I don't know what to do with her," Kara laments.

"Uh, in what way?"

"It's just… sometimes it feels like we're making progress and the next thing I know, she's shutting me out and barely talks, and she's so hot and cold; I don't know how to deal with that."

"Ooooh, so are we finally talking about that?"

"That what?"

"Your huge crush on Lena Luthor?"

"I'm not—I don't—stop. What?"

Alex tilts her head and looks at Kara sympathetically but she doesn't repeat herself. Kara caves in and lets out a long, suffering sigh.

"I can't read her, Alex. I don't know if she has feelings for me or if she's just playing with me and what am I supposed to do?"

"Well, I hate to point out the obvious but maybe this simply isn't the right time?"

"Yeah, I know… She's got so much going on; I shouldn't push, I shouldn't ask her for anything, but… being so close to her all the time makes it so hard."

"You don't have to be with her all the time," Alex points out.

"I—rationally I know that. There's no threat upon her right this moment, but I can't—I _can't_ leave her out of my sight," Kara admits quietly.

"You're afraid," Alex realizes. "You're afraid of losing her again."

"I'm _terrified_."

On the bed, Alex rearranges her position and shifts as close to Kara as the sheets will allow her. She takes Kara's hands in hers and squeezes them lightly. Her sister smiles shyly and takes off her boots before scooting closer and settling next to Alex on the bed. Once she's comfortable, Kara lets her head drop on Alex's shoulder and Alex rests her head on top of Kara's.

"You know, when Maggie and I started dating, I was always worried for her safety. She's a cop. Any time she's out there on the job is a time she might get killed. I had to get used to the idea, to find a way to compartmentalize. I've gotten better at it but I still worry, every day. That fear doesn't go away, Kara, but you learn how to control it. And you're lucky: Lena's not a cop."

Kara snorts.

"With all the attempts on her life she might as well be the president."

"Just be patient with her, Kara. Lena has her own demons to battle. You won't be able to do that for her."

"I didn't know wisdom came with being a lesbian," Kara teases.

"Shut up," Alex retorts good-naturedly as she elbows Kara in the ribs.

They both laugh and Kara feels better, as if a weight has been lifted from her shoulders. After another hour, Kara bids Alex goodnight and heads back to her apartment, ready to face Lena.

* * *

 _Shit_ is Kara's first thought when she enters the living-room through the window. Lena is just exiting the bathroom and there's only a big, fluffy towel around her body and her hair is all wet and messy and Kara feels faint. Their eyes meet and Kara is sure she's bright red because Lena smirks that _very specific smirk_ that means she knows Kara is uncomfortable.

"I didn't think you'd be back so soon," Lena says as she turns and walks into Kara's bedroom.

Kara is left to pick up her jaw from the floor. She clears her throat awkwardly and shifts from one leg to the other, arms crossed protectively on her chest.

"I'm tired," she lies.

Lena reappears a few seconds later, in a tank top that Kara recognizes as hers.

"I hope you don't mind," Lena says. "I put pretty much all of my clothes in the washing machine."

"I don't mind. At all."

The truth is that the tank top looks very good on Lena. It clings to her curves; curves that Kara is desperately trying to _ignore_ at the moment.

"How are you," she asks, trying to regain her composure.

"I'm okay," Lena tells her softly. "I'm sorry I haven't been a good houseguest today."

"What? No, pfft, don't worry about that."

"Kara."

Lena looks truly sorry and Kara finally moves from her spot. She keeps a safe distance between them but her body relaxes and she sighs. Alex's words float in her mind.

"I know things are complicated right now, and your life is a mess and there's a lot of pressure on you. But I'm your friend, Lena, and I'm here for you. You can lean on me. I—I don't like feeling useless, especially not when I know you're hurting."

"My pain is my own, Kara. It's something I must deal with alone."

"Maybe, but talking about it can help a little."

"We've done that already."

"We can do it again, as many times as we need to."

For a moment, it seems that Lena wants to say something, to maybe unburden herself, but she doesn't. Kara's frustration flares up again but she quells it immediately.

"Well. You know that I'm here when you want to talk," she ends up saying.

She walks around Lena to go into the bathroom and shower. Behind her, Lena stands still and Kara doesn't wait for her to react.

* * *

She isn't sure how long she stands under hot water, cascading down her body, soothing her and relaxing her tense muscles. When she steps out of the shower, the room is foggy and she has to wipe the mirror to see her reflection in it. Quickly, she brushes her teeth, dries her hair and slips into a clean shirt and sweatpants. Kara takes a deep breath before heading out of the bathroom and into her bedroom where she knows Lena is waiting.

To her surprise, the room is only lit by her bedside lamp, and Lena's eyes are closed as she rests peacefully on her side. Quietly, Kara climbs onto the bed and slips under the covers. After she turns off the light, she lies on her back, eyes staring at the ceiling. Her head turns toward Lena who is facing away from her and she exhales softly, trying to relax.

Kara almost startles when suddenly, Lena's hand reaches blindly behind her, finds Kara's and tries to pull her closer. Without a word, Kara obliges her and scoots closer until she's right behind Lena and her arm is around Lena's waist. Lena leans back then, pressing further into Kara's front until she can't possibly be closer and Kara's face is half-buried in her black hair.

"My mother cried."

The words hang in the air, heavy. Kara says nothing, waiting for Lena to elaborate.

"I just wanted to know if she'd heard about me. I didn't expect much, but… There was so much hatred for me. I could feel it in my bones. She was mourning Lex and blaming me for his death."

"Oh Lena," Kara whispers.

"She kept thinking that she'd do anything to trade me for him. And I've always known that Lex was her favorite. He was her biological son after all. I guess a part of me was still hoping she'd be happy to learn I was alive. I'm a fool."

Lena's body shakes as she holds back her sobs and Kara's heart breaks. Her arm hugs Lena tighter and she lets her lips find Lena's shoulder.

"You're not a fool," she murmurs against Lena's skin. "You're brilliant and funny and beautiful. You're wonderful."

"Then why does my own mother not love me?"

"Because she doesn't know you, because she's not a good person and wouldn't know what kindness is if it hit her in the face," Kara says with conviction.

Lena takes a few deep breaths to calm herself as Kara tries her hardest to focus on anything other than the smooth skin beneath her lips and the sweet smell of Lena's body lotion and shampoo.

"Do you think I'll end up alone," Lena asks after a long silence.

"What? No. No, of course not!"

"But I can't even earn my mother's love; why would anyone—"

"You shouldn't have to earn your mother's love; it should be unconditional. She's… twisted. She's incapable of love."

It's torture for Kara, to hear the pain in Lena's voice and to be so powerless against it. She nudges Lena's ear and places a kiss behind it.

"You deserve the world, Lena Luthor."

It's as close to an admission of feelings as Kara can go without actually admitting anything. Lena doesn't reply but the hand that was on top of Kara's around her midsection lifts and finds the back of Kara's head and tangles in her hair. Lena shifts on her back and Kara can feel her breath on her lips and she is so close… too close. Kara pulls back a little, grabbing Lena's hand and placing it back between them.

"You should sleep," she says, her voice tight. "You're exhausted and tomorrow is going to be a long day."

If Lena is hurt by Kara's gentle deflection and rejection, she doesn't say a word about it. She burrows into Kara's side and finds her usual spot on her shoulder. Kara allows her the comfort of her arms again, and as she's done for the past few nights, she falls asleep to the sound of Lena's heartbeat.


	17. Chapter 17

Maggie knocks on the door at ten thirty the next morning. Lena is sitting at the kitchen table, going over her statement again and again. Kara, in her Supergirl outfit, paces nervously next to her until she hears the knock. At full speed, she's at the door before Maggie's had the time to drop her fist back at her side.

"Hey Supergirl," Maggie says with a smile.

"Come in," Kara replies as she steps aside to let her in.

Lena has stood up and she waits for Maggie to come to her before offering her hand.

"Detective Sawyer."

"Please, call me Maggie. A car's waiting for us downstairs. Whenever you're ready."

"I'm ready," Lena affirms.

"Great. Let's go then," Maggie says as she turns back toward Kara, who's still at the door.

"Can you give us a minute," Kara asks her.

"Sure thing, Danvers. Make it quick."

Kara smiles gratefully and closes the door behind the detective before facing Lena who's grabbed her coat from the chair in the meantime.

"I'll do a sweep of the area before your car arrives there."

"Thank you."

Lena looks at her expectantly, waiting for Kara to say whatever she needs to say, and Kara freezes.

"I should go," Lena reminds her. "Maggie is waiting."

"Right. I—yes. Are you okay?"

"No," Lena blurts out, brutally honest. "But I doubt anyone would be after everything that's happened, so…"

"You will be fine. You can have your life back now."

This doesn't seem to comfort Lena, who looks more distraught than ever. Kara can't help herself: she surges forward and engulfs Lena in a tight hug. The coat in the brunette's hands drops to the floor as she decides she'd rather hug Kara back. When Kara pulls back and looks into Lena's eyes, she sees the myriad of emotions in them and she brings a hand up to brush a strand of black hair and tucks it behind Lena's ear.

"I'll be right there, okay? Just a few feet behind you, the whole time."

Lena nods, never taking her eyes off Kara's and, once again, she kisses Kara's palm which rests a bit awkwardly against her cheek. It burns her skin, that feather-light press of Lena's lips. Kara swallows hard and she fights the urge to fly away because this is too much and yet not enough. Too intimate and yet so distant. She hates that she loves it so much, that she yearns for it.

But this time is different. This time, Lena is the one who steps closer and she's the one who puts her hands on Kara's upper chest and she's the one who leans in… Kara closes her eyes before she feels Lena's red lips brush against hers, so briefly and lightly that she thinks she might have dreamed them. Instead, Lena settles for a kiss on Kara's cheek and Kara could send the table flying through the window in frustration.

When Lena steps aside and walks past her, Kara whirls around to demand an answer and she finds herself staring into Maggie's brown eyes.

"Maggie? What are you—"

"I said "make it quick," Kara. You asked for a minute, I gave you three. We need to go."

In her Lena-induced trance, Kara hasn't even heard the detective come back into her apartment. Her face reddens and Lena smirks at her over Maggie's shoulder. Thankfully, her sister's girlfriend doesn't tease her. Maggie is clearly taking her job seriously and today she has a mission which is to safely take Lena from point A to point B _on time_.

"Sorry. Go. I'll see you there," Kara nods.

Maggie squeezes her shoulder and a few seconds later, she and Lena leave the apartment. Kara locks the door behind them and she sighs. Her phone buzzes once and she checks her messages. Guardian is ready for Supergirl to pick him up.

"Show time," she says to herself before jumping out of her window.

* * *

The journalists go wild when Lena exits the SUV with Maggie and two men in black around her, pushing through the sea of reporters until they can get past the barriers set up.

"Miss Luthor, Miss Luthor!"

They're all calling her name but Lena stares straight ahead at the podium and she ignores the people gathered in front of it. She'd asked the FBI to set up the podium in front of L-Corp and they'd agreed. Supergirl flies low and waits until Lena is in position, the mic in front of her. She spots Guardian in the far back, watching over people. As the shouts stop and the crowd quiets down, Kara lands on the podium, about ten feet behind Lena, slightly on her right. She hears some gasps and the murmurs start up again. Lena shoots her a thankful smile to which Supergirl replies in kind.

Then Lena turns to tap the mic once, twice, and her hands grip the sides of the lectern and she begins:

"I often wonder what would have become of me if I hadn't been adopted by the Luthors. Where I would have grown up and how. I wasn't born a Luthor but I was raised as one. I was raised with Lex. He was my brother. Not a day goes by that I don't miss him. My Lex… I would have given anything to save him from himself. My heart broke when I realized he was too far gone, that he couldn't be reasoned with. And then he murdered hundreds of innocent people and I hated him and everything associated with him, including the name I'd been so proud to carry for many years."

Kara notices that Lena's hands haven't let go of the lectern and that she isn't reading from her notes. That isn't surprising though, considering Lena's gone over her speech probably a thousand times since she wrote it.

"It took me a long time to accept the fact that I'd lost the person I cherished the most in this world. But I buried my brother the day he committed these atrocities. He died with all these people. The man who tried to kill me, the man behind the attack on L-Corp that took the life of sixteen of my employees... that wasn't my brother. That man wasn't the Lex I knew, the one I grew up with. He was a vengeful, spiteful stranger. Thanks to an informant, the FBI got wind of Lex's plans for me and they managed to get me to safety before he could succeed in enacting his revenge on me."

Lena's voice wavers and she takes a deep breath.

"Unfortunately, many of my employees here at L-Corp weren't that lucky. They died because they worked for me. They believed in L-Corp and its future. They believed in what we could achieve together. They believed in me. I owe them. Lex's looming shadow is gone, and I promise you today that I will do everything in my power to make sure L-Corp becomes the company my employees were hoping to see it become one day. I promise you that I will make them proud and that their deaths will not be in vain."

Kara wants so badly to reach out when she hears the shaky exhale coming from Lena. She briefly wonders if Lena is going to crack, if the mask is going to slip, but Lena soldiers on and continues her speech.

"Their names will be engraved on a plaque at the entrance of L-Corp, along with a picture of each of them. I offer my sincerest condolences to their families and I want them to know that I share their pain. I am as loyal to my employees as they are to me and my heart is heavy today. Please know that as long as L-Corp stands and as long as I live, those that we lost will be remembered."

As her eyes scan the crowd silently listening to Lena, Kara sees a couple that she instinctively knows to be Jess' parents. They hold onto each other, tears on their cheeks, and hang on every word Lena says. Kara wonders if Lena has seen them, has recognized them.

"There is a lot of work to be done after everything that's happened. We will all need time to adjust. I will take back my position as CEO of L-Corp in a week. I hope you'll give me another chance to prove that I am not Lex and that my last name does not define me. The employees I lost knew that. Thank you for coming."

The questions burst forth as soon as Lena stops talking but she steps back from the mic and turns toward Kara, tears in her eyes. Kara knows this is her cue. She hurries toward Lena, grabs her arm and escorts her down the podium. They ignore the reporters who ask what the nature of their relationship is, they ignore the flashes of cameras and Lena only breathes once she's safely seated in the SUV. The car's engine is already running and it leaves immediately. To avoid arousing suspicions, Supergirl stays back and waits until the crowd has dispersed to join Guardian.

"That went well, I think," James tells her.

"No one tried to kill her so I would agree."

"Will you be stopping by CatCo then?"

"Yeah. Give me a moment. I want to check on Lena first. She'll be back to my apartment by now. Maggie's with her."

"Okay. Check in with me later?"

"Sure."

James watches her as she takes off, watches her as she becomes a distant point in the horizon.

* * *

When she lands in her apartment, Maggie and Lena are sat on the couch with identical mugs in their hands.

"I made some coffee," Maggie explains.

"Thanks."

They exchange a long look and Maggie takes the hint. She sets her mug on the coffee table and stands up.

"I should head back to the station now."

Lena looks up at her and smiles gratefully.

"Thank you, Detective, for your assistance today."

"Of course. I'm sure I'll see you around."

Kara walks her to the door and after a few parting words, she closes it behind Maggie and leans against it. Her eyes focus on Lena.

"How are you feeling?"

"Emotionally exhausted," Lena answers truthfully as she brings both mugs to the sink to wash them.

Kara observes her in silence for a few seconds before she steps away from the door and closer to her.

"I need to go back to CatCo today."

"Okay."

"There's lunch in the fridge. I'll buy pizzas on my way back tonight."

"Sounds good."

Once Lena is done, she dries her hands on a tiny towel and turns to face Kara.

"Kara?"

"Yeah?"

"I should probably move back to my penthouse, soon. Before I go back to L-Corp."

Kara's first instinct is to protest, to say no. She's grown accustomed to having Lena with her, and there's still that fear of losing her that Kara can't shake. But if that's what Lena wants then Kara can't exactly refuse.

"Can we discuss this tonight," Kara asks in an attempt to gain time to think about it.

"Of course. I shouldn't bother you right now; you're already late as it is!"

"No, Lena, I don't mind. It's just… We'll have more time tonight," she finishes lamely.

There's so much more that she wants to say and Kara hates that the timing is never right with them. Lena seems to sense her frustration becomes she takes Kara's hands in hers and smiles.

"Hey. I'll still be here tonight. Go to work."

"Yes. Yes, okay," Kara nods.

She squeezes Lena's hands and then breaks free and hurries to the bedroom to change. A minute later, she's back at the door and ready to leave when Lena's voice stops her.

"Kara?"

"Yes?"

"No mushrooms on my pizza, please."

"Uh, okay. I'll try to remember that!"

"Please do."

They smile at each other and Kara can't resist speeding back to Lena and kissing her cheek before storming out of her apartment. The door slams behind her and she misses the way Lena's fingers brush against the spot her lips touched.


	18. Chapter 18

Two days later and Lena is back in her penthouse. Kara's made sure that the DEO installed a new security system; one that she knows to be infallible. Lena rolls her eyes at that but she accepts it nonetheless and even sends a thank-you card to J'onn. Well, Kara has to deliver it in person and she makes fun of Lena but Lena doesn't care. _It's the polite thing to do, Kara,_ she tells her. Kara also takes it upon herself to fix the broken handle of the sliding door and she grins proudly when she manages to do it under half an hour. To celebrate, Lena orders pizzas.

They sit on the expensive leather couch and Kara makes a conscious effort to not stuff her mouth with food. Lena seems relaxed and she laughs at Kara's silly jokes. The penthouse has been cleaned up before they arrived and Kara sheepishly picks up her crumbs of pizza crust that fell to the floor. Lena eyes her, amused.

"You know I have a cleaning lady."

"Yeah well. Less work for her."

"I _pay_ her."

Kara just smiles at Lena and picks up another slice of pepperoni pizza.

* * *

She isn't really surprised when her phone rings in the middle of the night. Kara blindly reaches for it and, when she sees the caller ID, she sits up in her bed, alarmed.

"Lena?"

"Kara… I'm sorry to wake you…"

"No, no, what's going on? Are you okay?"

"I just—I thought… I had a nightmare. I'm sorry, this is silly."

"No, please, what do you need? Tell me."

"Could you—would you come over? Please?"

She makes it back to Lena's penthouse in record time.

* * *

"What was it about? Your nightmare?"

Lena sighs against her neck and Kara shivers, not from the cold.

"Lex. You."

"Me?"

"If I had hesitated a moment longer."

She doesn't elaborate but Kara understands. She remembers Lex's hands around her throat all too well. Clark still checks in with her every day now, clearly also unable to shake the thought away. No doubt Kara's strangled breaths still echo in his mind. She wonders if he has nightmares about Lex too.

"You saved me, Lena. I'm here."

"When I woke up and you weren't with me… There was a moment where I wondered if any of it was real; if you really were alive. Because in my dream I'd failed you, Kara."

"I'm alive. I'm real. You know that. You didn't fail me."

Lena clings to her anyway; one of her hands slipping under Kara's shirt and resting on her abs. Under any other circumstances, Kara would have teased her about being into her muscles but she knows that now isn't the time.

"Did you have nightmares like that before tonight?"

"Not as bad," Lena says. "I think being with you kept them at bay."

"Well. I suppose you could use me then."

She feels Lena's smile against her skin and she realizes what she's just said.

"I—I mean we could sleep together if it helps you! Wait—I—oh Rao."

At least this has the merit of making Lena laugh. Kara likes the sound and she grins in spite of herself. Lena's hand on her stomach moves a little, nails scratching, and Kara twitches. Before Lena can retract her hand, Kara places her own on top of it and keeps it there.

"We should sleep now, before I embarrass myself further," Kara whispers in the darkness of the room.

Lena nods and kisses her cheek before settling back on Kara's collarbone. Sleep comes fast for both of them.

* * *

On Lena's first day back at L-Corp, Kara is restless and anxious. As soon as the clock strikes noon, she shoots up from her seat and hurries out of CatCo to buy lunch and bring it to Lena's office.

Once she's there, Kara waits by the desk of the new secretary, her foot tapping nervously on the floor much to the annoyance of the young woman behind the desk. Finally, after ten long minutes, the door to Lena's office opens and Kara straightens up. She isn't expecting to see Jess' parents come out of the room. Yet here they are, arms linked and heads bowed as they leave. They don't acknowledge Kara's presence—they don't know her after all—and head straight for the elevator. From the doorway, Lena waits for her. Kara hurries towards her.

The first thing her eyes see is the wastepaper basket near Lena's desk. It's filled with crumpled tissues and, when she turns around to face Lena who stands behind her, Kara notices that the other woman has cried. She closes the distance between them and hugs Lena briefly.

"Jess' parents?"

Lena nods and leads Kara to the couch where they sit and open the boxes of Chinese take-out.

"They wanted to talk to me."

"Why?"

"They said—"

Lena swallows hard and clears her throat.

"They said they were happy I was alive and safe. That Jess would be happy too. They uh, they told me she loved her job and that she wouldn't shut up about it whenever she visited them."

"That's really nice of them."

"Jess was great at her job. I don't think anyone will ever be able to fill her shoes. Apparently they didn't want her to work for me at first. Like everyone else, they were wary of, well, my last name and its history. But Jess wouldn't listen to them and eventually they came around when they realized how much she loved her job."

"You're a good boss."

"She made everything easier," Lena says with a sigh. "I'll miss her the most."

Their lunch break is filled with a heavy silence that Kara doesn't dare break.

* * *

Alex calls early one morning, a few days after Lena is back to work and Mon-El has been cleared to leave the DEO's medical unit. Lena has just left for work and Kara is only now getting up; Lena's large bed too comfy to give up easily when she doesn't have to go to CatCo for another hour and a half.

"We cracked Lex's files. We found her, Kara. The woman who placed the bomb at L-Corp? We know where she is."

Kara's in her Supergirl outfit before she even hangs up the phone. This is it. The piece of the puzzle that's been missing all this time. Lex was behind the attack but he couldn't have placed the bomb himself. The cameras were useless after the explosion so they couldn't identify who was at the scene moments before. After they'd found the bunker, the DEO had extracted all of Lex's encrypted files and it had taken them until now to finally track the bomber down.

J'onn, Alex and Winn are waiting for her by the computers and, before she even reaches them, Winn uses a small remote to project a file and a picture onto the screens.

"What am I looking at," Kara asks.

"This," Winn says as he points to the picture of a red-head woman, "is Lydia Nelson. She's a chemist. Well, _was_. She got fired from her job three years ago when she was caught stealing various chemical products for her own home lab. We've followed a money trail from one of Lex's many off-shore bank accounts and it led us to another off-shore account registered under an alias which I then tracked down… and bingo!"

"How did Lex find her?"

"Well, his files didn't say."

"How do we know it's her?"

"Because she was in National City the day the bomb went off. And a security camera places her at the corner of the street minutes before the explosion."

"And after?"

"Uh, no. No sign of her. She pretty much vanished."

Kara turns to face Winn.

"No tickets booked to her name? A car, maybe?"

"She doesn't own a driving license. Though I suppose she could still drive without one."

"Our best guess is that she's still around," Alex says.

"Mr Schott has sent all of his findings to the FBI. They'll be taking over the investigation," J'onn adds.

"I want in," Kara declares, her fists on her hips.

"That's not up to me. I'll let the agent in charge know that you're willing to help. I doubt they'll refuse Supergirl."

"Thanks, J'onn."

* * *

Kara doesn't tell Lena about Lydia Nelson. She figures that it won't help Lena put everything behind her and her worrying about it will be counterproductive. So she remains quiet on the topic and when they meet at Kara's apartment later that day, long after the sun has set, Kara talks about everything but that.

Lena seems to be getting better with each day. Being back to the office helps. It keeps her mind busy and Kara likes to see how excited she is about the new projects of the company. They exchange fond smiles over dinner and Kara isn't exactly sure why she hasn't kissed Lena yet. Clearly they're on the same page about this if Lena's flirty looks and knowing smirks are anything to go by. Neither of them is trying to hide from the other, but still, nothing has happened. Kara desperately wants to change that, wills Lena to make the first move, but Lena doesn't. It's as if she enjoys this dance and, hell, Kara loves the dance but it's almost ridiculous now.

Kara spends most of her nights at Lena's. They haven't really talked about it but after Lena called Kara a few times in the middle of the night to ask her to come over, Kara figured they might as well fall asleep in the same bed. They have their own ritual by now: Lena sleeps on the left side of the bed, but she drapes herself all over Kara, whose arms rest protectively around her. It is the sweetest torture Kara's ever had to endure.

* * *

In the shadows of National City, the FBI works fast. Kara wonders how they manage to locate Lydia so quickly but she knows better than to ask. At least, they let Supergirl tag along. It's an unsurprisingly dull arrest. Nelson, after all, had no idea they were after her. They find her in an apartment just outside of town registered under an alias. The woman offers little to no resistance, and Supergirl is left feeling useless on the sidewalk as the black SUVs drive off into the night.

It's over.

* * *

That same night, Kara spends many hours flying from one location to another as several aliens decide to attack the city. Their motive is unclear; Alex tells her. They don't seem very bright but their brute force is dangerous. Guardian offers his help and Alex orders Winn to send him to the less threatening aliens. When they're finally done and the cells at the DEO are full, Kara, James, Winn and Alex debrief with J'onn. As it turns out, the aliens' goal was to take control of the city and Kara rolls her eyes at such lack of originality.

"Let them reflect on their actions for a while," she tells J'onn. "We'll see how they feel about Earth in a week or two."

Before she leaves, Kara informs them that Lydia Nelson's been apprehended earlier without any trouble. The investigation on the bombing at L-Corp is officially closed.

* * *

Kara figures she can very well wait until morning to let Lena know about the latest development. When she makes it to the penthouse, it's almost three and there's no light inside which means Lena is most likely asleep. Lena's shower is a delight; the hot water pouring on her shoulders as she looks down at her feet and stands under it for a while.

Less than half an hour later, when she slips under the covers, Kara barely has the time to settle before Lena instinctively scoots closer and cuddles against her.

* * *

Of course, Lena is up before her when morning comes. It's Saturday and Kara intents to sleep until at least ten. When she emerges groggily, a good hour after Lena left the bed, she finds the CEO on the couch, eyes riveted on the TV. Lena doesn't even turn her head when Kara clears her throat.

"Kara, they arrested her! The woman who placed the bomb. I had no idea they were even investigating!"

"That's great news," Kara says, clearly not enthusiastically enough.

Lena finally glances at her, a frown on her face. She gauges Kara for a few seconds and then sighs.

"You already knew."

It's not a question. Kara nods and moves to sit beside her.

"A few days ago the DEO found her name. Then the FBI tracked her down and they finally discovered where she was hiding."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I just didn't want you to worry about it. Do you think this is something you needed to know about?"

"No, not really," Lena concedes when she's thought it over.

"So you're not mad at me for keeping it from you?"

"No, I'm not."

Kara beams at her, relieved, and Lena can't help but chuckle. Before she stands up to make breakfast, Lena kisses Kara's cheek and Kara has half a mind to pull her back down and give her a proper kiss. _Soon_ , she tells herself. Soon.

* * *

The news have brightened Lena's mood and she seems more carefree as they walk through the park Kara has suggested they go to. Their hands brush against each other's and Kara works up the courage to entwine their fingers. She sees Lena smile from the corner of her eyes. If people look at them strangely—probably because they recognize Lena—no one accosts them during their stroll. When lunchtime arrives, Kara drags Lena to a hot-dog stand and insists they both have the biggest one they make. Lena knows better than to protest, not when Kara looks at her with her best puppy eyes.

They settle on an isolated bench underneath a weeping willow and Kara devours rather than eats her hot-dog. Lena has barely eaten a third of hers when Kara puts the last bite in her mouth and hums in delight. When her eyes reopen, Kara sees that Lena is staring at her, a fond smile on her face. She blushes, hard.

"Sorry. That must've been pretty gross to witness."

"Not at all," Lena laughs. "It's impressive, actually."

"Yeah? Wait until you see me at a restaurant. You'll be so embarrassed we'll probably never eat out ever again."

And it's such a simple assumption to make, that they will go out together in the future, that there'll be more moments like this. Kara's eyes widen when she realizes her own words, but Lena is still smiling at her, still watching her with the same amused expression.

"I look forward to being embarrassed then," Lena says quietly as her eyes drift to Kara's lips.

Kara notices, because of course she does. She freezes when Lena, as if hypnotized, moves closer and raises a hand to caress her cheek.

"Kara," she whispers.

Kara doesn't give her a chance to speak more. She leans in and kisses her. It's quick and gentle, if a little clumsy. She pulls back just as quickly but Lena's lips follow hers and they're kissing again, for real this time. The kiss grows heated and one of Kara's hands grips the bench, hard. The sound of wood breaking doesn't register in her mind. It can't, not when Lena's hands are tangling in her hair and pressing her impossibly closer. She hears a whimper and she thinks it might be from her but Lena doesn't even leave her enough time to understand what's happening so she can't be sure. Kara nips at her bottom lip and there's the faintest taste of cherry lipstick that makes her weak in the knees. She already knows she'll never get tired of it.

Lena kisses as if there is no tomorrow and Kara understands the feeling all too well. The thought crosses her mind that she could have never known any of this, never known the weight of Lena in her arms, the touch of her lips, the taste of her mouth. It leaves her reeling. It makes her kiss with even more fervor. Lena moans when Kara's other hand finds the back of her neck and scrapes at her skin.

As it turns out, _soon_ was a lot sooner than Kara expected. Truthfully, her first kiss—well, kisses—with Lena tasting of hot-dog is not what she had envisioned but it's weirdly _better_. It's spontaneous, a bit messy and therefore _perfect_.

Neither of them notice when Lena's hot-dog falls to the ground and is promptly pecked at by a couple of sparrows.


	19. Chapter 19

Lena doesn't let go of her hand the whole way back to Kara's apartment. They walk fast, but not too fast that they look suspicious. Kara's mind is in overdrive and hearing Lena's erratic heartbeat _really_ doesn't help. They kissed for a long time on that bench and only stopped because Lena's hands had begun _wandering_ and Kara certainly didn't want to find herself arrested for indecent exposure. They hadn't needed to talk when they'd left the bench. Tacitly, they had agreed on heading back to the closest place which happened to be Kara's.

As soon as the door of the apartment closes behind Kara, Lena pushes her against it and brings their lips together once more. Kara moans and lets Lena hold her there, trying hard to focus on not losing control of her strength. It has never happened before while kissing someone, but this is Lena and somehow everything feels different and new and a bit scary. Kara keeps her arms at her sides and after a few seconds of scorching kisses, Lena notices and pulls back a little to look at her.

"Kara? What's wrong?"

"Nothing!"

But Lena takes a step back and raises an eyebrow at her, and Kara knows she needs to confess.

"I'm afraid of hurting you," she says lamely, eyes downcast.

Lena reaches out immediately, both hands cupping Kara's face.

"You're not going to hurt me, Kara."

"You don't know that!"

"Have you ever hurt your… partner?"

"No."

"Then you won't hurt me either."

"It's not the same thing," Kara blurts out before she can think.

Lena waits patiently for an explanation. When it doesn't come, she goes back to placing soft, short kisses on Kara's lips, cheeks, jaw. Kara's eyes close and she lets herself feel. She doesn't realize that her hands find their way to Lena's hips and pull her closer. She _definitely_ realizes Lena is getting bolder when she licks her earlobe and sucks on it lightly.

"Oh Rao," Kara groans as her head falls back against the door.

Lena takes this as an opportunity to lavish her neck with kisses where a tongue slips out now and then. Kara's grip tightens and she takes a deep breath to steady herself.

"Stop thinking," Lena murmurs in her ear.

"Stop doing this to me," Kara retorts.

She knows Lena is smirking without even looking at her. Kara's been on the receiving end of that smug smile a few times by now; she doesn't need to see it because it's engraved in her memory. When Lena's hands start caressing the skin underneath her shirt, Kara's eyes fly open and she grabs Lena's wrists to stop her. Lena freezes.

"Kara? Too much?"

But Kara simply switches their positions so that Lena is the one pushed against the door. Lena lets out a surprised yelp at Kara's action and she laughs breathlessly.

"Not enough," Kara tells her as her hands find the back of Lena's thighs and lift her up.

Lena's legs instinctively wrap around Kara's hips and her arms wrap around her neck.

"This is hot," Lena whispers against her lips.

Kara kisses her hungrily instead of replying. She pushes her body closer so that Lena is sandwiched between her and the door and she can tell Lena likes it by the way she hums into the kiss and tries to grind against Kara's abs. Just as Kara is about to suggest they move this to the bedroom; there's a loud knock at the door. Lena startles and Kara sighs deeply. They stare at each other, Kara still holding Lena in her arms, hoping that whoever is on the other side of the door will get the hell out of here.

No such luck.

"Kara? You in there?"

It's Alex, and Kara's x-ray vision tells her that her sister is carrying three boxes of pizza with her. Reluctantly, Kara sets Lena down and they hurriedly make themselves presentable. Lena moves away from the door and goes to sit on the couch, turning on the TV quickly. Kara waits another second before she opens the door and smiles brightly at Alex who was about to knock again.

"Hey, Alex! Sorry I didn't hear you; we were watching TV!"

Alex's gaze wanders over Kara's shoulder and lands on Lena who waves at her from the couch.

"Sorry," Alex says as she steps inside, "I didn't know you had company today."

"It's alright," Kara reassures her as she shuts the door. "You brought pizza."

"I did. I thought we could hang out but—"

"No that's a good idea! I haven't seen you much lately."

They join Lena on the couch and Alex sets the pizzas down on the coffee table. Kara's eyes shift uncomfortably between the two of them and Lena has to suppress a knowing smile. Alex seems completely oblivious and Kara is very thankful for that.

"So, uh, no Maggie today?"

"I'm supposed to stop by her apartment later, but I wanted to have lunch with you."

"I should go," Lena says. "You two need to catch up and there's work waiting for me at home anyway."

Kara looks like she's about to protest but one glance from Lena stops her. Alex witnesses their silent interaction with one raised eyebrow as she sits back into the couch.

"Let me fly you home then?"

"No need. I can have my driver pick me up or even just hail a cab."

"I'd feel better if it was me. Alex doesn't mind."

Alex very much wants to point out that Kara hasn't even asked her if she minds but she wisely remains silent. Lena throws her a look and Alex shrugs with one shoulder.

"Alright, fine," Lena concedes.

Three seconds later and Kara stands in front of her in her Supergirl outfit. She steps forward until she's toe-to-toe with Lena and puts her arms around her waist. Lena stands still and Kara frowns.

"Well? Put your arms around my neck! You know how that works."

"Do you make it a habit to fly Lena around," Alex asks.

Kara startles and turns to look at her sister.

"Alex. I… I had forgotten you were here."

"You had _forgotten_?"

"What? No."

"You literally just said you'd forgotten I was here."

"You did," Lena whispers in Kara's ear as she puts her arms around her neck.

"I—shut up!"

Kara doesn't wait for either of them to argue or to laugh. She tightens her grip on Lena and flies them both out of the apartment, under Alex's amused eyes.

* * *

Lena is still smiling when they land on the balcony of her penthouse a few minutes later. Kara shuffles awkwardly behind her as they step inside.

"We will never speak of this again," she tells Lena.

"You mean speak of that one time you forgot your sister was in the room because you were too focused on getting me to hug you?"

Kara groans and stomps her foot, much to Lena's delight. Her smile is bright and Kara can't be mad at her for the teasing if it makes Lena look that happy. When Lena's smile subsides, she steps closer to Kara and takes her hands in hers.

"Kara, what happened between us today…"

"Please tell me you don't regret it."

"Of course not. I was going to say… I've wanted this for a long time. Long before the bomb and my disappearance. I've felt that way for a good year now."

In the few seconds that follow Lena's admission, Kara's mind takes her back to their beginnings: their first meeting, their first interview, their first conversation off the record. She remembers the fierce need to protect Lena, to make sure the other woman never doubted she mattered to someone. She remembers the devastating pain she'd felt after the explosion. The feeling of drowning and the emptiness that had settled within her for several weeks after, until Lena had come to find her.

One of Kara's hands reaches up to stroke Lena's cheek softly and Lena leans into the touch; her eyes never leaving Kara's.

"Say something," Lena pleads quietly.

"I want to say something," Kara admits, "but I think we should go on a few dates before I say it."

Lena's eyes widen almost comically as the meaning of Kara's words sink in.

"Kara—"

Kara cuts her off with a deep kiss and Lena soon forgets how to speak.

* * *

Kara spends the whole flight back trying to come up with an excuse for Alex as to why she took over fifteen minutes to fly Lena back home instead of five. When she lands in her apartment, she still hasn't found a convincing one but one look from her sister tells her it won't be needed anyway. Alex is halfway through the first pizza and she pauses, slice mid-way to her mouth, when Kara flies in.

"Did you wash your hands?"

"What?"

"Well, I'm assuming some R-rated activities must have taken place during the fifteen minutes you were gone with Lena, because I know it doesn't take that long for you to make it there and back and you two have been dancing around each other for quite some time now. I'm a trained agent who's dating a detective; I pick up on things. So if you're going to eat you should wash your hands first."

Kara is mortified and a bit scandalized. Her mouth hangs open as Alex finally takes a bite of her slice.

"Okay, first of all, I am not—we—Lena and I are not… we're not doing that!"

"Yet."

"Alex!"

"I'm just saying, if it hasn't happened yet then it's probably a matter of… of days?"

"I am so offended right now," Kara huffs.

It doesn't prevent her from collapsing on the couch next to Alex and grabbing her own pizza box. She devours half of her pepperoni pizza—making a point of looking her sister in the eye when she licks her greasy fingers—before Alex speaks again.

"Seriously though, Kara. What's going on with you and Lena?"

"We're friends."

"Right," Alex snorts. "Gal-pals."

"Exactly!"

Kara isn't sure why her sister chortles at that. To be fair, she's still a little dizzy from everything that has happened since the morning. She can still smell Lena's perfume on her, can still remember the way her fingers dug possessively into Lena's hips or even the sounds Lena made when Kara kissed her neck. It's unsettling and addictive and makes Kara want to fly high enough in the sky so that she can scream about it until her voice breaks. Lena's almost had to push Kara off the balcony earlier to force her to go back to Alex. Kara would have gladly stayed over, gladly kept kissing Lena but she knew it wasn't possible. It was with a heavy sigh that she'd taken off after one last, languid kiss and the promise to be back later.

"Earth to Kara?"

Alex snaps her out of her thoughts and Kara shakes her head as if it'll help clear her mind. It doesn't.

"Sorry, what?"

"I just said that I want you to know I'm okay with you being with Lena. I know I wasn't always on board with that relationship but I've seen how she looks at you and it's the same way you look at her, and I _know_ you, Kara. I know what this look means. So you have my full support."

Maybe Kara should protest, deny that anything is going on between her and Lena, but she doesn't want to. Not when this is exactly what she needed to hear, when Alex is offering her what Kara was afraid would never come: her blessing. Instead of a pointless lie, Kara tugs her sister closer and hugs her with one arm.

"Thank you, Alex. This means the world to me."

"I'm still going to give her the shovel talk and you won't rob me of that pleasure," Alex quips.

"I'll let Lena know she must play along then."

* * *

The thing is, when Kara stops by Lena's place later, as promised, she doesn't even get the chance to tell Lena about Alex knowing. Lena opens the door with a mischievous smile and Kara soon understands why: the penthouse is only lit by candles and it's probably more candles than Kara's ever seen in her entire life.

"Lena," Kara asks, uncertain, "what is all this?"

"This," Lena explains as she closes the door behind Kara and stands next to her, "is our first date."


	20. Chapter 20

_Their first date_. Kara's nervousness skyrockets and she chuckles as both hands reach up to rearrange her glasses.

"You mean to tell me that our walk in the park and that delicious hot-dog didn't qualify as a date?"

"You mean that hot-dog I barely got to taste because someone was eager to put their greasy paws on me?"

Lena's smile is teasing and Kara blushes.

"As if you weren't a willing participant in that," she reminds Lena.

"Oh I very much was."

The glint in her green eyes is predatory and Kara gulps. She takes her eyes off of Lena and back to the room where she notices that the table has been set for two.

"Dinner, huh?"

"I know you're always hungry."

"Yeah. Hungry for many things," Kara adds as she purposefully stares at Lena.

There is no doubt that Lena is much better at flirting and innuendos than Kara is but she'll be damned if she doesn't try her hardest to get back at Lena whenever possible. From the look in Lena's eyes, she definitely likes it when Kara retaliates.

"Did you manage to get any work done this afternoon," she wonders aloud.

"Not really," Lena confesses. "I was a bit distracted."

"Hmm I can't imagine why."

Before Kara can pull Lena into a kiss, the brunette steps away and escapes the embrace narrowly.

"A-ha! Dinner is ready so first things first!"

"Fine," Kara grumbles as she follows Lena to the table.

For a brief second, Kara debates whether she should pull Lena's chair for her or not but before she can make a decision, Lena sits down. Kara shrugs and imitates her.

"This smells delicious. Did you cook?"

"I did, actually. I don't do it often but I enjoy it. Might enjoy it even more now that I have someone to cook for."

"Ugh, you are perfect."

"Your words, not mine."

When Lena pulls the lid back from the saucepan, Kara's stomach rumbles loudly and she smiles bashfully. But Lena just looks at her knowingly and makes sure to fill Kara's plate to the brim.

* * *

Kara waits until they're halfway through dinner to ask the question that's been nagging her for a while now.

"Are you still using your, uh, psychic ability?"

Lena swallows her sip of wine and takes another short moment to answer.

"No. I haven't, not since the last time."

"The headaches?"

"Gone. I only have them when I focus too hard for too long."

"You don't need to use it anymore, you know?"

"I know."

"I don't want you to get hurt and those headaches seem pretty bad."

"I _know_ , Kara."

The atmosphere grows tense and Kara curses herself for bringing up the topic. Just as she's about to speak again, Lena gets up and takes their plates away to the kitchen.

"Dessert," she calls over her shoulder.

"Uh, yes, please," Kara says.

They move on with the conversation after that, but neither can shake the feeling that the air is a little bit colder in the room.

* * *

Lena suggests a movie once they're done with dinner and Kara agrees readily. Anything to dissipate the lingering tension. When Lena tells her to choose which one she wants to watch, Kara opts for a romantic comedy.

Five minutes into the movie and Lena's hand finds Kara's under the blanket she's thrown over their legs. Kara's fingers close around Lena's and she lets out a little sigh in relief. They're okay.

* * *

"It's just so unrealistic," Lena complains at the end. "As if a man like him would ever look twice at a woman like her."

"But that's the whole point of the movie, Lena! It's to sell people the idea that money and wealth don't matter and that love is love!"

"I guess it's just not my kind of movies then," Lena shrugs as she burrows further into Kara's side.

At some point, perhaps halfway through the romantic comedy, Lena had shifted closer to Kara and, taking the hint, Kara had thrown her arm around Lena's shoulder. Kara hasn't really been able to focus on the screen since. Lena is warm at her side, with a hand lightly drumming on Kara's thigh. She's looking at her, too. Kara can tell even though her eyes are still staring at the now blank screen of the TV.

"What's your kind of movie," Kara asks, hoping to stay on a safe topic.

"Period dramas. Psychological thrillers."

"Really?"

"Mhm," Lena hums in confirmation.

The hand travels a bit higher and Kara's breath hitches. She swallows hard and readjusts her glasses.

"Maybe you should show me one that you like one day, then," she says.

"Sounds like a plan," Lena murmurs, suddenly so close to Kara's ear. "How about I show you something you like right now?"

If Lena's words aren't enough to make Kara lose her mind; the hand suddenly slipping between her legs certainly is.

"Oh God," she gasps.

"Does Supergirl have to save the city tonight," Lena enquires huskily, lips brushing against Kara's earlobe.

"N—no," Kara stutters as she absent-mindedly wipes her hands on her thighs.

"Can you stay the night?"

"I'm an adult, Lena. I can do whatever I want."

Kara knows she's walked right into that one when Lena smirks against her cheek.

"Do you want me," Lena asks boldly.

"What do you think," Kara replies as she turns her head just enough so that their noses brush against each other.

"Then do m—"

Before Lena can finish her sentence, a pair of lips latches onto hers fiercely and she finds herself straddling Kara without realizing she's moved. When they pull apart a moment later, breathless, Kara's hands are way below Lena's waist and she blushes hard but Lena makes sure she doesn't move them.

Kara thinks about earlier, about Alex telling her it was probably only a matter of days before she took the next step with Lena. The memory makes her laugh, and Lena leans in to kiss her neck. When she bites the soft skin there, Kara shivers.

"What's got you laughing, beautiful?"

"It's just something Alex said to me," Kara explains. "I'll have to tell her she was wrong."

"What about," Lena asks as she switches her attention to the other side of Kara's neck.

"Us."

There's no more talking after that.

* * *

Hours later, on the other side of the city, one sleepy Alex Danvers reaches for her phone on the nightstand and opens the text message that has just come through. It's from Kara and it contains a single word:

" _Hours_."


End file.
